The Supreme Court betrayed LGBTQ+ folks, but Michigan’s progressive victories reveal a path forward

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D)
Photo: Screenshot

The result of the 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis ruling — decided on June 30, 2023 in favor of a Colorado web designer seeking permission to discriminate against LGBTQ+ customers — has left many LGBTQ+ people reeling, wondering how exactly this decision might affect not only our day-to-day lives but also the rights we have only recently earned.

Related: Christian web designer told Supreme Court she couldn’t make wedding websites. That’s not true.

In her dissenting opinion, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayer wrote: “By issuing this new license to discriminate… the immediate, symbolic effect of the decision is to mark gays and lesbians for second-class status. In this way, the decision itself inflicts a kind of stigmatic harm, on top of any harm caused by denials of service.”

It’s a terrifying prediction — but how accurate is it, and how alarmed do we need to be?

Related: Hair salon bans trans folks after Supreme Court ruling endorsing discrimination

Nowhere has the answer to this question been made clearer than in Michigan, a state proud of its recent progressive victories. In March 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) led a successful effort to…

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