ICC Note: As previously reported, Baronelle Stutzman, a florist in Washington State, was sued in 2012 for refusing to service a same-sex couple’s wedding. Although she offered referrals to other florists, she reported that her religious convictions prevented her from helping the couple. After being convicted of violating state anti-discrimination laws, she brought an appeal to the Washington Supreme Court, but they recently upheld the ruling.
By Heather Clark
02/17/2017 United States (Christian News Network) – The Washington State Supreme Court has unanimously upheld a ruling against a florist accused of discrimination by providing a referral for a regular customer’s request for the creation of floral arrangements for his same-sex ceremony rather than fulfilling the order herself.
“Discrimination based on same-sex marriage constitutes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. We therefore hold that the conduct for which Stutzman was cited and fined, in this case—refusing her commercially marketed wedding floral services to Ingersoll and Freed because theirs would be a same-sex wedding—constitutes sexual orientation discrimination under the WLAD (Washington Law Against Discrimination),” the court wrote.
It asserted that requiring the Christian-identifying florist to provide the floral arrangements to decorate the event does not infringe her religious rights because the law applies to everyone and serves the state’s interests.
“We also hold that the WLAD may be enforced against Stutzman because it does not infringe any constitutional protection,” the panel stated. “As applied in this case, the WLAD does not compel speech or association.”
“And assuming that it substantially burdens Stutzman’s religious free exercise, the WLAD does not violate her right to religious free exercise under either the First Amendment or article I, section 11 because it is a neutral, generally applicable law that serves our state government’s compelling interest in eradicating discrimination in public accommodations,” it asserted.
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