June 30, 2023 (Atlanta, GA) – In response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s breaking decision that 303 Creative, Inc. can constitutionally refuse business to customers on the basis of their sexual orientation, experts released the following statements:

Jeff Graham (he/him), Executive Director of Georgia Equality, said:

“Today, the U.S. Supreme Court gave way to targeted efforts to roll back long-standing protections for LGBTQ+ people. Our country decided long ago that a business opening its doors to the public must do so to everybody on the same terms. Yet this radical and reckless ruling contradicts decades of settled law and opens the door for discrimination against people of all different backgrounds– LGBTQ+ people, people of color, women, and people of different faiths. We commend Justice Sotomayor’s dissent in this case, likely the most affirming statement on the history and dignity of LGBTQ+ people to ever appear in a Supreme Court opinion.

This ruling renews our urgent call to lawmakers for a comprehensive, statewide non-discrimination law in Georgia that will help ensure no one is turned away because of who they are or who they love. Just earlier this month, we won in passing a non-discrimination ordinance in the city of Tucker, and we won’t stop until every Georgian– including all LGBTQ+ Georgians– has equal protections under law.

As we continue this fight, we’re calling on every business owner across the state to condemn discrimination and affirm that, regardless of this ruling, all people– including LGBTQ+ people– are welcome and supported in our communities.”

Constitutional law expert Fred Smith, Jr. said:

“The more sanguine news is that today’s opinion is limited to its facts. The majority emphasized that this case involved an artist who purported to offer ‘original,’ ‘customized,’ and ‘tailored’ creations in a manner ‘designed to communicate a particular message’ that viewers would attribute to the artist. In the overwhelming majority of other cases, public accommodations laws remain in force and continue to protect against discrimination. Nothing in today’s opinion suggests businesses open to the public may turn away people simply because of whom they love.”

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Founded in 1995, Georgia Equality is the state’s largest advocacy organization working to advance fairness, safety and opportunity for Georgia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, and our allies.