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US Supreme Court’s Decision Against LGBTQ People From Religious Interests
The United States supreme court has been noted to have passed a decision allowing an evangelical Christian web designer to refuse service for same-sex marriages.
This means the US supreme court has again expressed its comprehensive view on religious interests at the cost of the rights and protection of LGBTQ individuals.
In a 6-3 ruling, it was observed that the conservative majority had acted in the best interest of Lorie Smith. Smith is a web designer based in Denver who sued Colorado’s civil rights commission in 2016.
This was out of the fear that she would be punished for refusing to serve gay weddings at her services as per the state laws. Colorado’s laws prohibit any business from serving its goods or services to people due to their race, sexual orientation, religion, or other factors.
The ruling of the United States supreme court stated that Smith had the right to express her opinions as per the First Amendment of the Constitution. Even though her speech has been protected by the First Amendment, Smith’s speech tended to be inclined towards the recent clash between religious and civil rights activities.
The director of the law department of Columbia Law School has stated that in recent years religious interests have enabled the rise of separate rights that are harming equality rights, especially for LGBTQ people.
Laws On LGBTQ In The State Of Colorado
Colorado is one of the 22 states within the United States that actively prohibits its residents from discriminatory behavior based on one’s sexual orientation and gender identity in public settings.
Smith, who has been observed to oppose the concept of gay marriage openly based on her religious beliefs, was represented at court by Alliance Defending Freedom. This is a conservative religious rights group.
The president of this group has stated that disagreement is not the same as discrimination, and no one has the right to mislabel Smith’s speech as discriminatory against LGBTQ people.
The Conflict Between Religious Interests And LGBTQ Rights
In the United States, the legality has been provided for same-sex marriages in a 5-3 ruling in the year 2015. This right has been imposed on a nationwide level providing LGBTQ couples with to live in dignity within the nation.
On the other hand, there are various extremist religious groups that are on the rise that tends to oppose the legality of gay marriage in the United States.
Due to the clash between civil rights and religious interests, there is a growing concern for the protection of LGBTQ people within the United States.
Along with this, many secular groups in the US have raised their concerns regarding the state’s intervention with religion and church in regard to civil rights.
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