Written by Don Byrd
A florist in Washington State has been sued by the state for violating consumer protections laws prohibiting businesses from discriminating based sexual orientation. The owner of the florist cited her religious beliefs as the reason she could not provide flowers for a same-sex wedding. While gay marriage laws in Washington exempt religious entities from any requirement to participate, the refusal by a secular business like a florist is barred by consumer protection statutes, according to the State Attorney General, who filed the suit.
Attorneys for the florist make a different argument.
Making floral arrangements for a wedding is a creative process, not as simple as handing a couple some flowers, he said. “It takes artistic talent to do that. All artists consider what they do to be an expression.
“I one hundred percent believe this is a freedom-of-expression and free-exercise-of-religion issue,” he said. “What the government is saying here is that you don’t have the right to free religious exercise.”
The plaintiff is asking for an apology and an agreement not to deny services to future same-sex marriages. The florist is vowing to stand by her principles regarding marriage.
You can read the complaint (pdf) here.
