On June 4, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who invoked his religious rights and refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The ruling was 7-2. However, the court’s decision did not resolve the larger issue of whether or not business owners can refuse service to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals based on religious beliefs alone. Continue reading “Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Business in Same-Sex Wedding Cake Matter”
Tag: religious freedom
The Religious Rights of Business Owners and the Right to Refuse Service
In the past few years, the Supreme Court has had to make a number of decisions regarding the rights of businesses to accept and reject certain transactions and whether to provide certain benefits. In the 2014 case of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., the Court decided that laws that contradict or interfere with a business’ right to exercise religious freedom may be unconstitutional and impermissible. In that case, President Obama’s healthcare plan required that certain businesses provide healthcare coverage to their employees, which included the requirement to provide coverage for female contraception. Continue reading “The Religious Rights of Business Owners and the Right to Refuse Service”
