Joe.My.God. LGBT News
The Arizona Republic reports:
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge has quashed a local wedding shop’s attempt to override a Phoenix ordinance that protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination.
Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski, owners of Brush & Nib Studio and self-described evangelical Christians, create invitations and other handmade artwork for weddings and events.
They filed a lawsuit against Phoenix in May 2016 challenging the part of the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Their suit alleges the city’s ordinance would compel them to create invitations or artwork for same-sex couples, which would conflict with their religious belief that marriage is between one man and one woman andviolate their freedoms of speech and religion.
No gay couple has requested the studio’s services and no one has filed a complaint against the artists with the city. Scottsdale-based Alliance Defending Freedom filed the lawsuit on behalf of Duka and Koski. The conservative group also represented Hobby Lobby in its successful religious freedom case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
In September 2016, the ADF lost their “pre-enforcement” challenge to the ordinance. They plan to appeal this latest loss.
In December, the ADF will represent the anti-gay Colorado baker in a US Supreme Court case that could upend LGBT business protections nationwide.