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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 6 december 2022
Justices spar in latest clash of religion and gay rights

By JESSICA GRESKO and who seemed to favor
MARK SHERMAN Smith, asked whether it’s
Associated Press “fair to equate opposi-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The tion to same-sex marriage
Supreme Court ‘s conser- to opposition to interra-
vative majority sounded cial marriage?” The case
sympathetic Monday to comes at a time when the
a Christian graphic artist court is dominated 6-3 by
who objects to designing conservatives and follows a
wedding websites for gay series of cases in which the
couples, a dispute that’s justices have sided with re-
the latest clash of religion ligious plaintiffs. Across the
and gay rights to land at street from the court, law-
the highest court. makers at the Capitol are
The designer and her sup- finalizing what would be
porters say that ruling a landmark bill protecting
against her would force same-sex marriage.
artists from painters and The proposed law, which
photographers to writers also would protect interra-
and musicians to do work cial marriage, has gained
that is against their beliefs. momentum following the
Her opponents, mean- high court’s decision earlier
while, say that if she wins, Lorie Smith, a Christian graphic artist and website designer in Colorado, right, accompanied this year to end constitu-
a range of businesses will by her lawyer, Kristen Waggoner of the Alliance Defending Freedom, second from left, speaks tional protections for abor-
be able to discriminate, outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, after her case was heard before tion. That decision to over-
refusing to serve Black cus- the Supreme Court. turn the 1973 Roe v. Wade
tomers, Jewish or Muslim Associated Press ruling prompted questions
people, interracial or inter- and also the marital infidel- marriage that she finds of- way, because that’s how about whether the court
faith couples or immigrants, ity website Ashley Madison, fensive.” Where to draw they view the scenes with now that it is more conser-
among others. and a food business called the line for what a business Santa that they’re trying to vative might also overturn
Over more than two hours “Grandma Helen’s Protes- might do without violating depict,” Jackson said. its 2015 decision declaring
of spirited arguments, the tant Provisions.” state anti-discrimination Justice Sonia Sotomayor a nationwide right to same-
justices repeatedly tested Justice Neil Gorsuch, one laws was a big question in repeatedly pressed Kris- sex marriage.
out what ruling for the de- of three high court appoin- Monday’s arguments at ten Waggoner, the law- The case being argued be-
signer could mean, using tees of former President the high court.Justice Ket- yer for Smith, over other fore the high court Monday
detailed and sometimes Donald Trump, described anji Brown Jackson asked categories. “How about involves Smith, a graphic
colorful hypothetical sce- Lorie Smith, the website de- whether a photography people who don’t believe artist and website designer
narios. Those included a signer in the case, as “an store in a shopping mall in interracial marriage? Or in Colorado who wants to
Black Santa asked to take a individual who says she will could refuse to take pic- about people who don’t begin offering wedding
picture with a child dressed sell and does sell to every- tures of Black people on believe that disabled peo- websites. Smith says her
in a Ku Klux Klan outfit, a one, all manner of web- Santa’s lap. ple should get married? Christian faith prevents
photographer asked to sites, (but) that she won’t “Their policy is that only Where’s the line?” Soto- her from creating websites
take pictures for the Jew- sell a website that requires white children can be pho- mayor asked. celebrating same-sex mar-
ish dating website JDate her to express a view about tographed with Santa in this But Justice Samuel Alito, riages. q

Emhoff to host Jewish leaders for discussion of anti-Semitism

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Emhoff, the husband of this week to discuss a rise asked about rising antisemi- Emhoff, in his response at
Associated Press Vice President Kamala Har- in antisemitism and efforts tism during an appearance the conference, said he
WASHINGTON (AP) — Doug ris, will host Jewish leaders to fight hate in the United at the NewDEAL Leaders did not want this type of
States. conference of state and lo- sentiment to “feel normal.”
The White House roundta- cal officials in Washington. “I don’t want people to
ble on Wednesday follows Former President Donald think, ‘Well, it’s just words,’”
a surge in anti-Jewish vitriol Trump recently hosted Nick he said. “We have to all
spread by a famous rap- Fuentes, a Holocaust-deny- step up and speak out
per, an NBA star and other ing white supremacist, at about this as leaders in your
prominent people. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home communities. So as long as
Emhoff is the first Jewish in Florida. I have this microphone,
person among the top four The rapper Ye formerly I’m going to keep speak-
officials the president, vice known as Kanye West ex- ing up, speaking out, and
president and their spouses pressed love for Adolf Hitler again, not just about anti-

in the executive branch of in an interview. Basketball semitism but about hatred
government, and he has star Kyrie Irving appeared and bringing everyone else
become increasingly out- to promote an antisemitic together.”
spoken about growing bias film on social media. Neo- “This is not OK. It’s not OK,”
toward adherents of the Nazi trolls are clamoring Emhoff continued. “We
Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, Jewish faith, and hate at to return to Twitter as new cannot be silent. We gotta
speaks during a reception to celebrate the Jewish new year in large, in the U.S. CEO Elon Musk grants “am- push back. We gotta speak
the East Room of the White House in Washington, Sept. 30, 2022. “It’s painful, it hurts,” Emhoff nesty” to suspended ac- up. And we cannot make
Associated Press
said Friday after he was counts. this normal. We cannot.”q