MADISON – Today, on the final day of Pride Month, the U.S. Supreme Court released a decision in 303 Creative LLC v. Aubrey Elenis. The Court ruled that certain public businesses may refuse to serve LGBTQ+ couples. The Wisconsin Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus released the following statement in response to the ruling:
“We are deeply saddened by the Supreme Court’s ruling. As Justice Sotomayor states in her dissent, ‘Today, the Court, for the first time in its history, grants a business open to the public a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of a protected class.’
“This decision weakens public accommodation nondiscrimination laws in more than 20 states, including Wisconsin. In 1982, Wisconsin became the first state to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations, housing, employment, education, and credit. Wisconsinites set the example for America when we created those protections, and this ruling undercuts them.
“This decision sends a signal that, in the United States, LGBTQ+ people do not have the equal freedom to be who we are and to love who we love. It also paves the way for similar weakening of nondiscrimination laws for other protected classes, like race, sex, religion and national origin.
“We know that is wrong. We join Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson in opposing this ruling. We will continue to work for a more equal future.”
