Wash. Florist Who Refused to Make Same-Sex Wedding Decorations Countersues
A Washington woman who was sued by the state's attorney general after refusing to create floral arrangements for a same-sex wedding ceremony has filed a countersuit that argues her decision is constitutionally protected.
Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed the countersuit Thursday in Benton County Superior Court on behalf of Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene's Flowers in Richland, Wash. Stutzman's attorneys say the state cannot force her to make decorations for same-sex weddings because she would have to go against her religious convictions to do so.
"Everyone knows that plenty of florists are willing to assist in same-sex ceremonies, so the state has no reason to force Barronelle to violate her deeply held beliefs," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Dale Schowengerdt in a statement. "In America, the government is supposed to protect freedom, not use its intolerance for certain viewpoints...
