Supreme Court to hear Colorado clash over LGBTQ rights and religious liberty

Washington — The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will take up the case of a Colorado web designer who is opposed to creating wedding websites for same-sex couples because of her religious beliefs, in the latest clash to come before the court involving claims of religious liberty and state laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

The court said in a brief order on its decision to wade into the dispute that it will decide the question of "whether applying a public-accommodation law to compel an artist to speak or stay silent violates the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment."

The case involves Lorie Smith, a graphic designer from Colorado who owns 303 Creative LLC and believes in accordance with her religious beliefs that marriage is between one man and one woman. According to filings with the Supreme Court, Smith plans to grow her business to design wedding websites that promote this belief and wants to post a statement on her website explaining she won't create wedding websites for same-sex couples due to her religious conviction.