The Court’s disastrous ruling allows a business the ability to refuse service to members of a protected class
SAN FRANCISCO (June 30, 2023) — City Attorney David Chiu issued the following statement today after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 303 Creative v. Elenis that a Colorado-based website design company can refuse to provide wedding websites to LGBTQ+ couples. The Court’s conclusion that a business open to the public has a constitutional right to deny certain services to members of a protected class is unprecedented.
The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office previously filed an amicus brief in the case, joined by 19 mayors and 53 cities and counties across the country, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm the lower court decisions upholding Colorado’s anti-discrimination law.
“This Supreme Court is yet again on the wrong side of history. The Court’s decision is heartbreaking and bigoted.
It is incredibly disturbing to think that a business should be able to refuse service to a person based on their sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. This will rob people of their sense of safety and create a chilling effect, decreasing participation in public life and our local economies.
Every person, no matter who they love or what they look like, deserves to be treated with dignity, care, and equal protection under the law. In San Francisco, we will of course fight to ensure our LGBTQ+ communities, as well as every member of a protected class, are supported and welcome in public accommodations.
But, for today, I am deeply saddened and offended by the Court’s decision.”
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