Blumenthal Statement on the Supreme Court's Decision Making LGBTQ+ & Other Americans Vulnerable to Discrimination

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, allowing the owner of a Colorado graphic design business to discriminate against same-sex couples’ requests for wedding websites:

“Granting business owners the right to refuse service based on someone’s identity is antithetical to everything our Constitution stands for. Once again, this Court has put LGBTQ+ rights on the chopping block—erasing years of progress our nation has made in becoming a more equal, just society. All Americans deserve protection and acceptance for who they love, but this Court has granted certain businesses a right to discriminate on that very basis.”

“This decision—heartbreaking and contrary to all of our anti-discrimination laws—will be incredibly harmful to millions of Americans. At a time when hundreds of laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community have been introduced, the Court has condoned and permitted anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination. As Justice Sotomayor powerfully notes, the logic of this ruling and the right to refuse service may not stop at gender and sexual orientation. Passing the Equality Act and codifying protections are needed to stand up against this activist Court’s dangerous decision.”    

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