I Was Part of 303 Creative's Case. I Back Gay Marriage—but SCOTUS Is Right
Supreme Court case 303 Creative v. Elenis. The case involves Lorie Smith, another graphic designer and the owner of 303 Creative in Colorado.She challenged a state law that would force her to create custom designs that celebrate views on marriage she disagrees with.
On June 30, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in her favor and concluded that the government cannot force artists to create art promoting ideas they don't believe.I filed a friend-of-the-court brief in Lorie's case.
Not because I agree with her stance on marriage. Far from it. Let me be crystal clear: I support marriage equality.Instead, I filed the brief because I believe so strongly in the underlying free-speech principles.
And I understood that if Colorado could force one artist to create something inconsistent with her beliefs, it's not hard to imagine other governments in this country doing the same.That's a scary place to be in as a country if the government can start telling us what we must say and what we can't say.So while I absolutely disagree with Lorie's views on marriage, I wholeheartedly condemn the idea that the government can dictate what artists create.Personally, I haven't–and won't–create a piece of art that's pro-guns, that promotes Donald Trump or that helps anyone sell cigarettes.
