Thursday, February 16, 2017

Unanimous Ruling From Washington State Supreme Court Against Anti-Gay Florist

Barronelle Stutzman

ABC News reports that Barronelle Stutzman, the Washington state florist who refused to sell wedding flowers to a same-sex couple in 2013, has lost again in court.

This time it was a unanimous ruling from the nine Washington state Supreme Court justices who ruled Stutzman discriminated against the gay couple in 2013 according to the state's public accommodation laws.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson and the couple sued her, saying she broke state anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws, and the lower court agreed.

Today, the state's highest court upheld that verdict.

Stutzman's supporters maintain the ruling could "bankrupt" her. The penalty for the public accommodation violation is $1,000. Virulently anti-gay Alliance Defending Freedom is handling her court case for free.

Stutzman's defense was that she had previously sold flowers to the couple, but had to refrain on wedding flowers due to her personal religious beliefs. She feels selling flowers for a wedding she is not attending amounts to "promoting" or "supporting" same-sex marriage.

Stutzman's lawyers say they will now take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.


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