Justices hand down narrow ruling for Christian baker in wedding cake case
The Supreme Court majority opinion focused on how a Colorado commission handled the case—leaving open several larger questions.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Christian baker in Colorado who refused to design a cake for a couple’s same-sex wedding, a case many saw as a contest between claims of religious liberty and LGBTQ rights.
But experts and advocates noted that the ruling handed down on June 4 in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission—decided in a 7–2 vote—was primarily focused on how the Colorado Civil Rights Commission handled the case. It pushed down the road a definitive treatment of whether religion can be cited as a basis for refusing service to LGBTQ people.
“The Colorado Civil Rights Commission’s consideration of this case was inconsistent with the State’s obligation of religious neutrality,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion, referring to the state authority that sided with the couple after they filed a complaint. “The reason and motive for the baker’s refusal were based on his sincere religious beliefs and convictions.”
