A Christian web designer stood up to the LGBT mob and activist politicians who targeted her for her support of biblical marriage. Following her Supreme Court victory, Colorado must now pay for her attorney fees.
(LifeSiteNews) — Colorado will likely pay $1,500,000 in legal fees to a Christian web designer who it tried to force to promote homosexual “weddings.”
Lorie Smith’s attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) secured the settlement recently, although it will be finalized in the coming weeks, according to Reuters.
The settlement follows a Supreme Court decision in June 2023, which affirmed that Smith and her company 303 Creative could not be forced to create “wedding” websites for homosexuals.
“First Amendment prohibits Colorado from forcing a website designer to create expressive designs speaking messages with which the designer disagrees,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion.
“Our clients Lorie Smith and her design studio, 303 Creative, prevailed at the US Supreme Court and achieved a landmark victory — a victory that helps to protect all Americans’ freedom of speech from government censorship and coercion,” ADF attorney Brian Neihart told the media recently.
Colorado officials have regularly targeted faithful Christians who object to homosexual “weddings.” State officials previously lost at the Supreme Court after Colorado punished baker Jack Phillips for refusing to create a cake for a homosexual “couple.”
He was then targeted by an LGBT activist yet again. However, the 303 Creative decision has allowed him to challenge that targeting. Virginia photographer Bob Updegrove settled his lawsuit against the commonwealth following the 303 decision.
As LifeSiteNews previously reported:
Updegrove originally challenged the Virginia Values Act in 2020. It was signed by liberal Virginia Governor Ralph Northam that same year and prohibited “any type of discrimination aimed at [self-professed] LGBT persons in housing, public and private employment, public accommodations, and access to credit.”
Updegrove and other Christian creative professionals faced $50,000 fines for initial violations of the law and $100,000 penalties for subsequent violations. They also could have been forced to violate their conscience and provide the service.
“As part of the settlement, Virginia officials agreed that Bob Updegrove is free to create wedding photography consistent with his beliefs, as protected by the First Amendment,” ADF announced in November 2023.
A Christian photographer in New York, Emilee Carpenter, also can continue to sue New York, a judge ruled in July of this year, according to Alliance Defending Freedom.
Carpenter is a blogger and photographer who is concerned about a New York law that would require her to work at a homosexual “wedding.” She originally lost in the federal court system but can now continue thanks to the 303 Creative ruling.
“The First Amendment guarantees to all Americans—including artists—the freedom to choose which messages to express,” Alliance Defending Freedom wrote in an article about Carpenter. “If the government can compel Emilee to convey a view of marriage that cuts against her beliefs, it can compel the speech of others.”
