Opinion: Colorado baker has fought for free speech. He finally won.
All Jack Phillips wants to do is create beautiful cakes for his customers – no matter who they are.
Yet, the Colorado baker’s religious beliefs prevent him from expressing certain messages through his creations.
Because of that, the state government and vindictive activists have tried to force him to go against his conscience by wielding anti-discrimination laws. Phillips and his family have battled for their free speech rights in court for the past 12 years.
But thanks to a Colorado Supreme Court decision this week – and a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year – he may finally be free to get back to doing what he loves, free from legal persecution.
Phillips’ business Masterpiece Cakeshop was first sued in 2012 when he declined to bake a cake to celebrate a same-sex wedding. That case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and Phillips won. It was a narrow decision, however, that focused only on Colorado officials’ hostility toward Phillips' faith – not the free speech elements of........
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