Last June, in a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of the owner of the Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, absolving him from legal liability for refusing to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple because it went against his religious beliefs. While many legal experts have maintained the…
What the U.S. Supreme Court’s Masterpiece Cakeshop Decision Means for Religious Refusal Laws in Texas
By Emma Platoff, The Texas Tribune Last year, a dispute over a Colorado wedding cake made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court — and this week, the reverberations of the high court’s ruling made it all the way to Texas. After the high court ruled Monday in favor of a Christian baker…
Why a Colorado Case Over “Religious Refusals” Could Matter to Texas
By Emma Platoff, The Texas Tribune June 26, 2017 When the U.S. Supreme Court rules next year on a religious refusal case that started in 2012 at a bakery in Lakewood, Colorado, its decision could have reverberations in Texas. The court announced Monday that it will take up Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission,…
Texas Removes Non-Discrimination Language From Foster Care Bill of Rights
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Earlier this year, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services quietly removed and significantly altered anti-discrimination language from a document informing foster kids of their constitutional rights. Called the Foster Care Bill of Rights, this document is required by the state to be read to any child…
Lawmakers Engaged in ‘Unprecedented Effort’ to Roll Back Civil Rights For LGBTQ Texans
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. On Tuesday, the Texas House could debate and vote on a bill that would give state-funded adoption agencies the “religious freedom” to turn away LGBTQ parents. Other measures waiting for approval by Texas lawmakers would let county clerks deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples if doing so conflicts…