Writing for the majority, justice Anthony Kennedy said the CCRC showed “hostility” to Phillips’ religious beliefs in ordering him to undergo anti-discrimination training. The court did not address the wider principle of whether a business can refuse to serve gay people, saying this “must await further elaboration”. The case went all the way to the supreme court and on Monday it ruled 7-2 that the commission violated Phillips’ rights under the first amendment, which guarantees freedom of expression. The two men complained to the Colorado Civil Rights Commission (CCRC), which decided against Phillips.
Charlie Craig and David Mullins went to the Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado, in July 2012, only for owner Jack Phillips to say he would not provide a cake for a same-sex couple.
