WA state Supreme Court rules against florist in same-sex wedding case

[struggle4progress]

By Devan Cole and Ariane de Vogue, CNN
Updated 4:44 PM ET, Thu June 6, 2019

Washington (CNN)The Washington state Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against a florist who declined to make an arrangement for the wedding of a same-sex couple.

The ruling is the latest in the national fight over religious freedom and anti-discrimination laws, coming one year after the US Supreme Court sided with a Colorado baker who declined to make a cake for a same-sex couple.

"The State of Washington bars discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation. Discrimination based on same-sex marriage constitutes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation," the nine-member state court said in its unanimous decision.

The Washington case involves Arlene's Flowers and Barronelle Stutzman, a florist who refused in 2013 to make a floral arrangement for long-time client Robert Ingersoll's same-sex wedding. In a statement issued last year, she said that while she serves everyone, she cannot "create a custom floral arrangements that celebrates events or express messages at odds with my faith" ...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/06/politics/washington-state-supreme-court-flower-shop-case-same-sex-couple/index.html

[Polybius]

1. Will this go back to the SC?

Could be a big case.

[struggle4progress]

3. Dunno. Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission wasn't very informative

[marble falls]

2. Woo hoo! The SCOTUS is next!

[struggle4progress]

4. Third Discrimination Suit Filed Against Masterpiece Cakeshop

June 6, 2019 at 10:39 pm

DENVER (CBS4) – Attorneys for a Denver woman greased the pan for yet another legal battle against a Lakewood bakery already burned around the edges from a series of heated civil rights fights. Jack Phillips, owner of the Masterpiece Cakeshop, refused in 2012 to bake a wedding cake for Charlie Craig and David Mullins, a same-sex couple from Denver, on the basis of his religious beliefs.

That case rose through the court system, culminating in a year ago in a 7-2 decision from the United States Supreme Court partially in favor of Phillips. The justices did not rule on the larger issue of whether businesses can invoke religious objections to refuse service to gays or lesbians, but did decide the bakery owner had been subjected to anti-religious bias by a state civil rights agency.

The latest lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Denver District Court on behalf of Autumn Scardina by attorneys Paula Greisen and John McHugh.

Scardina had filed a previous lawsuit against Phillips following her request for a cake – an order she placed the day of the SCOTUS ruling ...

https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/06/06/discrimination-lawsuit-lakewood-jack-phillips-masterpiece-cakeshop/