Colorado officials who tried to force a Christian web designer to violate her religious beliefs by creating websites for same-sex couples will pay the $1.5 million in attorneys fees that graphic designer Lorie Smith had accrued fighting their oppressive lawfare.
Under their settlement, Colorado’s Civil Rights Division agreed to pay Smith’s legal costs from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which specializes in religious-freedom lawsuits.
The settlement concludes an arduous, eight-year legal war culminating in a landmark 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Smith’s favor.
ADF CEO Kristen Waggoner warned that any entity that tries to force Christians to “advance the government’s preferred ideology” will pay the price.
“The government can’t force Americans to say things they don’t believe, and Colorado officials have paid, and will continue to pay, a high price when they violate this foundational freedom,” Waggoner said in a statement.
“Billions of people around the world believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman and that men and women are biologically distinct. No government has the right to silence individuals for expressing these ideas or to punish those who decline to express different views,” she warned.
Waggoner underscored: “Political and cultural winds shift, but the freedom to speak without fear of censorship is a God-given constitutionally guaranteed right, essential for a flourishing society and self-governing people.”
‼️ BREAKING ‼️ Colorado has agreed to pay more than $1.5 million in attorneys’ fees for violating the First Amendment rights of graphic artist Lorie Smith, following her landmark Supreme Court victory in 303 Creative v. Elenis.
CO officials threatened and censored Lorie’s speech… pic.twitter.com/IicctcVLDb
— Alliance Defending Freedom (@ADFLegal) November 19, 2024
Should those that bring these cases to court face increased costs and burdens?
Yes: 71% (5 Votes)
No: 29% (2 Votes)
Lorie Smith, the owner of 303 Creative LLC, expressed relief at the outcome of her protracted legal battle, which she says is a win for free speech and for Christian beliefs.
“After enduring Colorado’s censorship for nearly seven years, I’m incredibly grateful for the work of my attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom to bring my case to victory,” Smith said.
“As the Supreme Court said, I’m free to create art consistent with my beliefs without fear of Colorado punishing me anymore. This is a win not just for me, but for all Americans — for those who share my beliefs and for those who hold different views.”
Smith said she harbors no ill-will toward the LGBT community, but refuses to succumb to government duress by designing websites promoting same-sex marriage.
“I hope that everyone will celebrate the court’s decision upholding this right for each of us to speak freely,” she said.
The Supreme Court decision in Lorie Smith’s case, 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, has already been cited in countless court decisions, briefs and other legal publications.
VICTORY🙌
The Colorado Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit against Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop.
Jack has faced lawsuits for more than a decade for refusing to bake cakes celebrating gay marriage and a gender transition.https://t.co/4z5yyeOr4n
— Standing for Freedom Center (@freedomcenterlu) October 8, 2024
Regardless of your opinion on the merits of Smith’s case, it’s obvious that the frivolous lawfare was targeted harassment.
After all, she’s not the only web designer in Colorado. Normally, if a store doesn’t carry an item you want, you simply go to another vendor.
(And what is it with Colorado specifically? See: The endless nonsense that Christian baker Jack Phillips has had to deal with as a business owner in the Centennial State.)
Instead, Colorado’s Civil Rights Division literally made a federal case against Smith by trying to force her to make a homosexual website in violation of her Christian beliefs.
Why didn’t the government’s LGBT client go to a Muslim designer and ask them to create a pro-LGBT website?
The blatant targeting of a Christian artist spotlights how accepted this is in the United States, which is 68 percent Christian.
The fact that the public and the legacy media are not sounding the alarm about this anti-Christian persecution and egregious hypocrisy should outrage all Americans, even with Smith picking up the well-deserved legal win.
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