A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision was a blow to the LGBTQ+ community. In Connecticut, Attorney General William Tong assured the community they will be protected by the state’s anti-discrimination and privacy laws.
The concern surrounds the Supreme Court’s decision in 303 Creative v. Elenis.
The high court’s conservative majority ruled that a Colorado website designer would not violate that state’s anti-discrimination law if she refused to create a wedding website for a same-sex couple.
The case was wrongly decided and would have little effect in Connecticut, Tong told members of the state’s LGBTQ+ community at a meeting in a Newington restaurant on Tuesday.
“The Supreme Court found that her free speech rights, her expressive conduct in speaking through the design of that website, were protected," Tong said. "That, to me, is a narrow decision."
The ruling doesn’t change Connecticut’s anti-discrimination laws, he said.
“It does not impact Connecticut’s laws today, or tomorrow, or going forward — Connecticut’s public accommodations laws, Connecticut’s nondiscrimination laws, Connecticut’s strong laws protecting the LGBTQ+ community. We’ve come a long way. All those laws remain in full force and effect, and this state will defend and protect the people of this state.”
Tong’s office, alongside the Connecticut Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, has issued guidance for businesses.
“This guidance is for any businesses, whether they are run by an LGBTQ+ individual business owner or not, and it makes very clear that no matter what 303 Creative says, that Connecticut businesses cannot and must not discriminate against LGBTQ+ customers — period,” Tong said.
The guidance also says the high court decision does not affect Connecticut’s other anti-discrimination laws.
“It does not allow people to discriminate based on their religious beliefs," he said. "303 Creative does not impact any of our existing laws like marriage equality. Marriage equality remains the law of this land."
The attorney general pledged that Connecticut would remain a staunch ally of the LGBTQ+ community across the country.
His office has filed briefs opposing an Alabama law that prevents youth and their parents from choosing gender-affirming care. It also filed a brief against a West Virginia law that bars transgender girls from participating in high school sports, and a Florida "don't say gay” law, which blocks schools from mentioning LGBTQ+ issues.
Earlier this month, the state filed a brief in a Massachusetts transgender student privacy case.
“We want to protect the right of those kids to talk to their teachers, and not have those kids feel they can’t talk to their teachers,” Tong said.
He warned of the impact of the court’s conservative majority, including their decision last year to overturn Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide.
Another decision that has some Connecticut residents worried is the blocking of the Biden administration’s student loan relief program. More than $17 billion is owed by Connecticut students, which will now be a drain on their finances and affect the state’s economy.
Tong warned borrowers to protect their personal information and federal student loan ID.
“There are scams that have developed where people get calls and texts and emails saying, 'We run a student loan forgiveness fund' or, 'We have a student loan forgiveness program and if you give us your bank account information and social security information, we can give your money back,'” he said.
The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to vote on Supreme Court ethics legislation later this month, which would appoint an Ethics Investigations Counsel and require the justices to publicly disclose their recusal decisions.
