June 30, 2023 – NMAC policy expert Toni Newman released the following statement condemning the Supreme Court’s latest ruling against the LGBTQ+ community in the 303 Creative, Inc. v. Elenis case:
“Unsurprisingly, yet infuriatingly, the United States Supreme Court decided today to undo years of civil rights protections by allowing businesses to return to a darker time in which they were allowed to discriminate against customers based on who they are and who they love. This case was brought forward by a business owner who cited she was ‘fearful’ of a hypothetical situation that had never even presented itself in her professional services. Yet, her purported fears pale by comparison to the life-and-death ones being felt by members of the LGBTQ community as their fundamental rights are systematically being stripped away.
“Today’s ruling is another blow to our community, but we must understand that it’s actually part of a much larger national strategy to advance a coordinated and broader anti-LGBTQ+ agenda. To date, more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in 46 state legislatures, with more than 220 of those targeting the transgender community specifically with egregious provisions like bans on gender-affirming care and drag shows. More than 75 of those bills have been signed into law, and Republicans have made clear that there are more to come.
“The ruling comes weeks after the Human Rights Campaign declared a first-ever ‘State of Emergency’ for the LGBTQ+ community in the United States following a record-breaking increase in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults. It is disheartening to see the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority set this dangerous precedent and legitimize bigoted behavior that purports to be justified by religion.
“It is becoming increasingly apparent that those targeting the LGBTQ+ community have no intention of stopping their crusade anytime soon–which means that groups like NMAC will continue to stand with our allies to fight those attempts to threaten our dignity, freedom, and safety.”