On June 30th, the Supreme Court decision to allow a website design company to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people by refusing to provide wedding websites for same-gender couples, threatens previous non-discrimination laws and puts racial, disabled, religious and other minority groups at risk of rampant discrimination based on “religious beliefs” of business owners. You can read the full statement from New Ways Ministry about why all of us should be concerned about this new legal precedent.
Up until now, public businesses could not refuse service to anyone based on “strongly held beliefs.” Any business providing service or accommodations “in the public square” could not refuse service based on race, disability, religion, or sexual orientation. Today’s ruling can only be corrected in the future by another supreme court action (not likely), or by legislation that makes such discrimination illegal throughout the country. Please begin now to pay attention to which candidates running for the House and Senate in the coming year are committed to protecting non-discrimination laws, so that our country can continue to be a country that protects the rights of all its people.
Peace and blessings,
S Bea
