Today six justices on the Supreme Court took another in a series of steps designed to roll back 50 years of progress and return us to a time when discrimination was legal. The Court just said it’s fine to discriminate against anyone you don’t like as long as you use your religion as an excuse. That’s astonishing.
What’s next? Putting a “white’s only” sign in your window? Or a sign that says “No Jews Allowed”? We have seen signs like that before and religious beliefs were often used to justify them.
Though we have not always lived up to our ideals, this country was founded on a simple principle: that everyone deserves to be treated equally. For 50 years settled law and common decency said that when a business opens its doors to the public, that business should be open to all—a core principle that is at the heart of how we treat one another. Today the Court decided that doesn’t matter anymore.
It is even more infuriating that they announced this decision during Pride Month when at the same time dozens of states are passing legislation rolling back years of progress for LGBTQ people. It is not difficult to imagine what other civil rights that took us years to earn are now also at risk.
Our theme for Denver Pride this year was “Be proud out loud.” Today’s decision demonstrates the need for everyone in the LGBTQ community to stand up and have our voices heard. Today’s decision is the reason we need a pride parade. We need to stand up for our community and for anyone who feels marginalized, ostracized, diminished or attacked because of who they are or who they love. Discrimination in the name of religion is still discrimination.