FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — A hearing was held at the state's Supreme Court case against a Lexington business who refused to print t-shirts for Lexington's Pride Festival years ago
The question at hand is whether religion should be allowed as an exemption to the city's Fairness Ordinance. The case is a big one for the city of Lexington. Experts say this is the first big test of the city's ordinance.
Lexington's Fairness Ordinance ensures people can't be discriminated against because of sexual orientation and gender identity. But after 20 years on the books it's finally being tested. The outcome could make some serious changes in Lexington.
"Will people be able to use religion to say 'hey, my religion, I don't believe in homosexuality therefore I can deny you the service that my business provides.' So big implications for this Supreme Court case," Raymond Sexton of the Human Rights Commission told LEX 18.
The other side says that the court should not enforce the ordinance because no one should be forced to do something against their religious conscious.
"If the government can force Blaine Adamison to print messages that violate his faith, then the government can also force, for example, a lesbian printer to create shirts for a religious group opposing same sex marriage, even though that printer would obviously not agree with that message," Jim Campbell of Alliance Defending Freedom said in his counterpoint.
The case is expected to attract a lot of people. If you want to attend court in Frankfort, they'll be handing out tickets early. Tickets are first come, first serve.
