In the News

Today, Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) joined a bicameral group of 211 members of Congress in an amici brief to the Supreme Court in support of LGBTQ protections in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. V. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.

“This case is bigger than one bakery or one couple,” said Connolly. “It is about basic equality and the fundamental right of every American to a pursuit of happiness free of prejudice and discrimination. No business should ever be allowed to discriminate against someone simply because of who they love.”

In 2012, Masterpiece Cakeshop, a bakery in Colorado, refused to create a wedding cake for husbands-to-be David Mullins and Charlie Craig. The owner of Masterpiece told the couple he would not design a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because his religious beliefs did not support same-sex marriage. Mullins and Craig pursued their case against Masterpiece and won victories in the lower courts. The Supreme Court will consider whether businesses can ignore state nondiscrimination laws if their motivation for discriminating is based on religious or moral disapproval of LGBT people. The case has the potential to create a broad loophole to every nondiscrimination statute across the country.

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