Statement by Vice President Harris on Supreme Court’s Ruling In 303 Creative v. Elenis

All people deserve to live free from discrimination. When you walk into a restaurant, a hotel, or any business open to the public, you are entitled to be served free from discrimination. For years, our nation’s civil rights laws have helped to make that ideal more real. The Supreme Court’s ruling in 303 Creative v. Elenis departs from decades of jurisprudence by creating an exception to protections against discrimination in public accommodations. On the last day of Pride Month, the Supreme Court has paved the way for businesses across our nation to discriminate in the name of “free expression”—against the LGBTQI+ community, racial and religious minorities, the disability community, and women.
 
At a time when we celebrate hard-won advancements in LGBTQI+ rights, this decision threatens future progress. President Biden and I will continue to rigorously enforce federal anti-discrimination protections and fight for the right of all people to participate equally in our society. And as a crucial part of that fight, we continue to call on Congress to pass the Equality Act.

###