Mayor Murray statement on state Supreme Court ruling that florist discriminated against gay couple

SEATTLE (February 16, 2017) – Today, Mayor Ed Murray issued the following statement after the Washington state Supreme Court ruled that a Richland florist, Barronelle Stutzman, violated anti-discrimination law when she refused to serve a gay couple:

“The question that was in front of the Washington state Supreme Court has been asked and answered since civil rights activists first sat down at Woolworth’s lunch counter to protest racial segregation in 1960. Today’s ruling confirmed that discrimination has no place in our civic life. As our historic state LGBTQ legal protections make plain, all people have the right to enjoy life without having to experience bigotry. Washington values are enshrined in these laws. Regardless of sexual orientation, race, gender, or faith, all people are guaranteed the right to public accommodations, housing, and employment. The state Supreme Court has set a clear standard: religious beliefs do not allow a business to freely discriminate against the public.”