Becerra says the Supreme Court delivered ‘a mean blow’ in wedding designer case
Gabrielle M. Etzel
Video Embed
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra chided the Supreme Court via Twitter on Monday for the court’s decision to side with a Christian web designer who did not want to create wedding websites for same-sex couples.
“The ruling by the Supreme Court delivers a mean blow to the cause of civil rights and liberties, but especially for the LGBTQI+ community,” Becerra said. “Discrimination has no place in our society.”
PENNSYLVANIA’S JOSH SHAPIRO COULD HELP BIDEN MEND BLUE WALL CRACKS BEFORE 2024
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the 6-3 majority opinion that the First Amendment prevents states from compelling a business owner “to create expressive designs speaking messages with which the designer disagrees.”
Although liberal justices on the court dissented on the principle that this opens the door for discrimination, Gorsuch wrote that Colorado’s anti-discrimination law, if taken to its logical conclusion “would allow the government to force all manner of artists, speechwriters, and others whose services involve speech to speak what they do not believe on pain of penalty.”
Becerra noted in response to the ruling that the entire Biden-Harris administration is “committed to fighting the discrimination that the LGBTQI+ community has faced for far too long.”
Becerra’s commentary comes after he chastised the court for their decision to overturn precedent regarding affirmative action in higher education, saying that the decision will hinder people of color from gaining entrance into healthcare education programs and thereby diminishing racial health equity.
Last week, HHS also hosted its first Pride Summit to discuss LGBT health issues, ranging from the loneliness epidemic among elderly LGBT populations to the mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, epidemic.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“This game of defense can get tiring,” Becerra said at the summit. “We want offense … We hope to enlist you.”
Addressing the court’s Friday ruling, Becerra added, “We will continue to work hard to show everyone in the LGBTQI+ community that they have champions at HHS as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to advancing equal rights and protections for all Americans.”