- Laurie Smith, a Christian web designer who recently won a landmark Supreme Court case on the First Amendment, said in an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation that the ruling will give everyone more freedom. , he said he would be able to “speak according to his beliefs.”
- Smith, owner of Denver-based design studio 303 Creative, has spent seven years fighting the state: weddings that display “God’s design for marriage” between men and women. said he was thrilled to finally begin the task of creating a website for
- “This ruling protects LGBT website designers, Jewish calligraphers, Democratic speechwriters and professional-life photographers,” she said.
The Christian web designer, who recently won a landmark First Amendment Supreme Court case, says the ruling will give everyone more freedom to “speak up for what they believe.” told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The Supreme Court opinion On the last day of his term, he will reaffirm the right of individuals to “think and speak as they please, not what the government wants” and challenge Colorado law prohibiting restrictions on public accommodation services based on sexual orientation. He upheld Lawrie Smith’s lawsuit. Smith, owner of Denver-based design studio 303 Creative, told the DCNF what he’s been fighting with the state for seven years: “God’s design for marriage” between men. She said she’s thrilled to finally be able to start creating a wedding website that will do just that. she is a woman
Under the Colorado Discrimination Act (CADA), Smith could not create this kind of wedding website unless the state also compelled her to create a wedding website for same-sex couples. , which violated her deepest beliefs. The law is the same law Christian cakemaker Jack Phillips won in the Supreme Court and has been suing for more than a decade after he refused to make a custom cake for a gay wedding. be.
When asked why he filed the lawsuit, Smith told the DCNF, “I wanted to stand up because I was being censored by the state of Colorado.”
Smith told the DCNF that she wanted people to understand that the verdict she fought hard for was a win for “all Americans,” whether they accepted it or not. Told.
“This ruling protects LGBT website designers, Jewish calligraphers, Democratic speechwriters and professional-life photographers,” she said. “This week everyone is freer to speak their minds than last week.” (Related: Supreme Court side with Christian web designer in forced speech case)
Web designer Laurie Smith, a Supreme Court plaintiff against same-sex marriage, poses for a portrait at her office in Littleton, Colorado, USA, November 28, 2022. (Reuters/Kevin Mohat)
But getting here hasn’t been easy, Smith told the DCNF. Years of lawsuits put pressure on her business and exposed her to “many peaks and many valleys.” Among other things, she was forced to give up her dream of creating a wedding website.
“People tried to hack into my website,” she said. “I, too, have received a lot of hate.”
Smith told the DCNF that her faith in Christ affects “every aspect” of her humanity, including her business, and that her work “brings glory and honor to our Creator.” He said he strives to be something that “represents But she said she didn’t always believe.
“My faith journey started at a really difficult time,” she said. “I lost an uncle who was an incredible man of God, and I really struggled with this notion of a good God…I set out on a full-scale journey to disprove him. “
“In the end, the Lord was working in my heart. I had nowhere to look but Him,” she said. “So I accepted him as my Lord and Savior, and my life changed dramatically.”
She encourages critics to read the majority opinion for themselves.
“I think this is powerful. I think it allows people to form their own opinions,” she told the DCNF, noting that many “huge lies” have been spread about her case. bottom.
Following this decision, some media outlets by mistake The Supreme Court has reportedly ruled that businesses can refuse service to same-sex couples as the ruling effectively nullifies government efforts to force business owners to speak messages contrary to their beliefs. bottom.
“I’ve always loved working with people from all walks of life,” Smith said. “I will continue to serve my LGBT clients. But I cannot create a message that goes against the core of who I am and what I believe. Thank you for acknowledging that it wasn’t necessary.”
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