On June 30, 2023, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling in the 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis case. This ruling determined the state government of Colorado cannot force a designer to engage in work that goes against her values. 

The case in question dealt with a website designer Lorie Smith, who presided over a limited liability company, 303 Creative, LLC.

Smith provided website development services and started pivoting towards designing wedding announcement websites. Smith asserted that making sites for homosexual marriages would have violated her Christian faith. 

She initially wanted to publish a disclaimer on her company’s website to inform users that she is not willing to develop websites advocating for homosexual marriages.

Instead, she would direct homosexual customers to other web developers who are more willing to work with them. 

Prior to publishing the notice, Smith found out the publishing of such a notice would break Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws, which were updated in 2008.

These laws bar public businesses from taking discriminatory action against individuals based on the gender they identify as their sexual orientation.

This case had similarities to the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 584 U.S. ___ (2018).

This tackled a similar dispute that saw free speech liberties collide with anti-discrimination laws in Colorado. However, this case ended with a ruling that was narrower in nature.

Both cases dealt with issues of whether a state government’s anti-discrimination laws can mandate designers to create works that recognize homosexual marriages, when these marriages go against the designers’ ethical and religious values.

The 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis decision was viewed by several figures on the right as a victory for free speech and religious liberties. 

However, leftist detractors viewed it as a defeat for LGBT rights and an endorsement of discrimination under the guise of free speech. 

In response to this decision, several businesses started putting up signs to inform conservatives, specifically supporters of former President Trump, that they are not welcome on their premises. 

Such polarizing responses represent another front in a protracted culture war where certain segments of the country react harshly to controversial Supreme Court decisions that do not align with their values.