Injustice are just the same. The reality of discrimination is it is not just about the person, but it is also about those who are impacted a married couple whose experiences face discrimination at every turn. [indiscernible] years after their son was born, he was denied the opportunity to attend day care with his friends just be has because he had to wo moms. He and his community are living in a world that stigmatize their family, denied the opportunities as those of other children. Not the world we want for the next generation. It is time to fulfill the promise of equality for all our families with no exception. Applause]d good morning. [indiscernible] includes all of us, regardless of whether you are lesbian, a, black,l, or transgender, that you know, or a person with a disability. Not get to pick who they serve and who they will not this country has a long and sordid history of using religion justify the rights justified the denial of rights this is not a case about religious liberty. It is about discrimination. Ee, one ofrs committ the countrys oldest Racial Justice organization, is proud to stand with solidarity with Community College for equal justice under law. On the today, basis of sexual orientation, plain and simple. We cannot afford to turn the clock back to a dark era in which Business Owners used religious liberty as a false basis for justifying discrimination. But i would be remiss if i decided not to say a word about this Justice Department. This Justice Department under Jeff Sessions is standing on the wrong side of history. [cheers] it is shameful that this Justice Department sided with the antigay activist Group Alliance defending freedom Alliance Defending freedom is a group that opposes that prohibits lgbtq discrimination. [indiscernible] there will be a whole bunch of people coming out the steps. Got postponed a little bit. [indiscernible] [cheers] we will not stand by silent up now. We have called this Justice Department out colorados ke by businesses [indiscernible] by ensuring that people from different backgrounds [indiscernible] open to everyone regardless makeeir background, to sure that minority communities are not relegated to be secondclass is. Citizens. [indiscernible] the court should reject the plaintiffs claim. The closing of american race,acy regardless of lgbtqs data scum National National lgbtq status, origin [indiscernible] we will not be a nation divided. We will fight for equal justice under law for all. Equal justice under law equal justice under law, businesses should be open to all. Equal justice under law, businesses should be open to all. Thank you. [cheers and applause] hi. Hancock. Am jeff [indiscernible] districts first production and have been around since 2011. Our mission is bringing together through extraordinary beer, passion for our craft, and wherein am i . Pride for our community. We consider ourselves trailblazers. We have welcomed other brewers into the community and are underscored by the value of abundant. As a business, we wear our collective hearts on our sleeves and are involved in many social issues. Andalue inclusiveness equity in all forms, welcoming the public to our business being foundational to us. We want everyone to know we want you here so we can share our art with you. We have worked on our own and with groups like collective action for safe spaces to build our brewery as a safe place for all individuals. Now more than ever is a critical time to be engaged right now in this country, in this world. Silence is a luxury none of us can afford. Today is the opportunity to stand up together for our community and d say our patrons, our public, our humanity, and the world. We want to live in it. We understand how a product can be art. Consider the beer we brewed to be art. Beer brings people together. It sufferers discussion and as more value to the site to a society. Art is the opposite of divisive this. Invoking discrimination as part of the Creative Process defeat the entire concept of art and makes no sense to us at all. This year we partnered with the the blade to create a charitable beer for pride week. We received over 30 submissions from local artists and firms weresome more fun, some controversial, some had hidden meanings. One just said love. All were art and were meant to be consumed by anyone and everyone. It is important for us to speak up today at this rally because we want our community to know we are here for you. These are our values and we cannot just sit back and expect others to fight the fight. [indiscernible] what do you want to be when you grow up . Always the same. I do not want to be poor because my family was very poor. I would tell the grownups that i want a family because my father left my mother with six children and she had to raise all of us all by herself without the blessing of a father at home. To bed tell them i wanted a firefighter, and they taught us all our dreams would come true indian knighted states of america if we believed in and had faith in god, if we went to school and got a good education, if we respect the grownups and treated other children likely wants to be treated. He said all of our trains would come true. I was raised on faith and patriotism. Childhood dream came true. I became one of the first africanamerican firefighters in shreveport fire demand robert hurt ultimately, i became the chief and after nine years i was appointed to fire chief in shirley franklin. A few months later, i was recruited serve at the highest fire official position in the country, the United States fire administrator under president obama, and i was confirmed by a bipartisan Congressional Committee as the nations highest official in the United States of america. Months, the new mayor of atlanta recruited me back to the city of atlanta where i served him faithfully for five years. Two years after my return, i was designated the fire chief of the year by fire chief magazine. God had blessed me with a fairytale career. In 2014, my childhood American Dream was abruptly halted because i wrote a book for a christian bible study on my own time that emphasized meant to be the husbands and fathers and leaders that we have been called to be and that through crisis all things are possible. Tooklanta city official issue with a few paragraphs i wrote in my book that described the big a bowl biblical view of sexuality. The city of atlanta suspended me and proceeded to conduct an investigation. The investigation was to determine if i had ever to scrimmage it ever discriminated against anyone. It concluded i had never discriminated against anyone. However, i was terminated anyway. Wasn my history and work, i stunned at writing a book, encouraging men to be upstanding husbands and honorable fathers, jeopardize my career. The citys claim i was treating people and equally was particularly troublesome to me, because in my life as an africanamerican, i have experienced firsthand the negative attitudes, consequences, the slurs of discrimination because of the color of my skin. I lived with a, conviction that should i ever be in the position of leadership, i would never allow anyone to endure dissemination. In atlanta i created what was fire rescuetlanta doctrine, which established a culture of justice and equity for the entire department and sought to eliminate all isms, sexism, racism, cronyism, territorial listen, any ism that would disrupt the atmosphere of work that cause our women and men to serve our community in a highest capacity. I have been sensitive about making sure people felt valued and included. That is why what i have experienced has been particularly hurtful and quite frankly outrageous. It is still unspeakable to me as an american that the very things that fostered my fessional achievements [indiscernible] in our country, genuine tolerance must be reciprocal. No one deserves to be [indiscernible] are still fighting against the rights of americans to marry the people they love are wanted defendare what again to their hate actions. A decision in this case in favor of a constitutional right to discrimination would open the floodgates to further discrimination against women of color, transgendered women, single women, working women, immigrant women. All of us are at risk. We all know that discrimination [indiscernible] and it is wrong. We stand on the steps to remind the Supreme Court [indiscernible] they must find in favor of the colorado civil rights commission, in favor of Charlie Craig and david mullins, and in ther of those words justices see every time they walked to these doors equal justice under law. Thank you very much. To be fired for something you do outside of them expressing your faith good morning. [indiscernible] [cheers] [indiscernible] the l, the b, g, t we are a powerful community. Some people around the country do not see you or you or you, but i see you. And therean of faith, are other faithbased leaders are today who do not believe you or i are this baker says it is against his religion he should know that god loves everyone. [indiscernible] believer, he says, in the bible. But you whosaid, are listening, i say, let your enemies too good do good. [indiscernible] we must do the same thing to him and others like him. Bakerese people like the on the got to know us as lgbtq mitzi from inside our Hearts Community from inside our hearts [indiscernible] because we are the Lgbtq Community. I see you. [cheers and applause] good morning. Or of a Baptist Church in rockville, maryland. [indiscernible] yes, baptists, baby, baptists. [indiscernible] so often these arguments [indiscernible] [cheers] and that includes our Lgbtq Community people must be respected, all people must be honored, all people must be loved. With all due respect to those who would make this refusal to serve someone a cake over a racist issue, as people of faith, what part of faith makes it ok to harm brothers . What part of their beliefs make it ok to humiliate, embarrass, and create fear in others . No one should be turned away from a business because of their sexual orientation, gender, race, their gender identity, or their religion. When people of faith take actions that discriminate against others, that is what goes against the basic tenets of faith. Faith and discrimination should not go hand in hand. Faith should always be on the side of inclusion. Never be on the harm,f oppression, exclusion, or hate. When people of faith advocate exclusion based on their religious beliefs, they employ represents the values of their faith. This proclaims to other a false set of values, contrary to what so many faith traditions proclaim love, love one mercy. , do justice, have christian season of advent we are in right now, it is a time that we look with hope for the future. I hope is that this court will understand that this argument [indiscernible] remember today that at least one baptist in the crowd [cheers and applause] thank you so much. The national lgbtq chamber of commerce [indiscernible] good morning. I am the senior counsel at a fund for religious liberty. We filed a brief in the masterpiece case are doing the government should never compel someone to participate in a religiousainst their convictions. We know being asked to participate in a wedding is no small matter. Religion for many millennia have carried deep religious and cultural significance, and there are many early reasons many reasons where someone might be opposed to any particular the idea the government can compel one to participate in a wedding or bar mitzvah or baptism or any other event that is so full of cultural and religious significance is troubling. And frankly the First Amendment cars were cars requires which is no more for someone to support someone elses celebration that it would support someone to raise the flag for the pledge of allegiance. Isating a custommade cake clearly part and parcel of celebrating a wedding, and Jack Phillips should not be forced to do that any more than you or i sing at aforced to wedding or serve as a wedding or sit through a wedding with a big smile on our faces. As a nation, we can learn to live and let live and not take extreme offense at other peoples choices or force them to participate in our choices. Im optimistic the court will agree and hold that the government cannot force anyone to celebrate or clap for or ceremonymeone elses against their own religious convictions. Thank you. Eric baxter with the becket fund for religious liberty. Im sorry . Are you confident you can win this case . Im not counsel in this case. We filed a brief. And the outcome . The arguments focused on speech, and the justices seem to have questions and concerns about that issue. Toward the second half of the argument, the issue of freedom of free exercise, religious exercise, came up, and the court seemed more concerned about the encouragement on the treasury on mr. Phillipsexercise. Commissioners trust open bias against religion. They called it a despicable piece of rhetoric and spoke out religious. Jacks beliefs. There was more concerned about the free exercise peace river i feel confident the court will accept the noncoercion principle that no one should be forced to participate in a very expressive event without their religious content. Thank you. Applause]d i want to say i am the group forunsel of a religious liberty. We filed a brief because rid of s liberty is protected because religious liberty is protected. Making sure they uphold these public accommodation laws, not denigrate any believes, but because these laws protect against discrimination and protect religious liberty. I am the president and general counsel for Alliance Defending freedom that defendant objected a. Jack today. Ndant the questions were extended. The Court Session was much longer than the scheduled our because there was so much interest on all sides of the case. This is the first time in American History where there is a serious consideration of compelling people to deliver a message that is contrary to their beliefs. Freedom of speech means the ability to refuse to speak a message you do not agree with and the freedom to speak includes the context where other people might be offended. We recognize on each side of this question people will be offended. If being offended was enough to curtail someone elses religious freedom or their freedom of speech, this would no longer be the same country that was founded over 200 years ago. Because the essence of america has been for a long time, i may disagree with everything you say, but i will defend to your death the right to say it. In this case, it is worse. What people should be dissent wagner willstian come up here in a second did a great job. She was peppered with a lot of questions. I think the court heard from four able lawyers, but at the end of the day we have a good chance of prevailing in this case, but it is going to be close. The court paid a lot of attention to it, and i expect to see a very vigorous discussion among the judges. Kristen oh, sorry. Good morning. It is my privilege to be here with jack and stanford. I have a flower shop in washington state, and we have been in business for a long time. I have asked the court to take our case. I have had my flower shop for many years, and it has been my communityto be in our for three generations for prompt students. I tried to work my business according to my faith, to all types of people. When of the gentlemen who is suing me has been my customer for over 10 years. I have custom created designs for him for many years. View rob more as a friend and a customer. My store and i thoroughly enjoy working with him. Because of my faith, when rob came into my store to talk to me about his samesex wedding, i referred him to three other florists, which i knew would do him a good job. I never turned down rob because of who he was. I decline to celebrate an event that goes against my faith. Rob tomorrow, if you walked into my shop, i would hug him, ketchup, and wait on him up, andher catch wait on him for another 10 years. We could lose everything we have that we have saved give our children to our grandchildren. Simply because i believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. But to lose everything we have, our home, our retirement, our life savings, simply because i referred a longtime customer for one event jack and i are standing not just for us, but for all of you. [indiscernible] work with her conference, and if the government can come in and tell you what to do or they will destroy you, then we do not live in a free america. Thank you. Good morning. I am Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cake shop. I serve all who walk through my doors, people from all walks of life. Ive spent many years honing my craft as a cake artist, combining baking with my love of sculpting, painting, and sketching. And i love my craft because i get to turn a cake into a canvas, where i get to express ideas, celebrity events, and bring joy to my community. Of my favorite parts of my job has always been creating wedding cakes. Designing them, creating them allows me to use my artistic vision to create works of art that are beautiful and distinctive and mark the beginning of something sacred. Though i serve everyone who like many my shop, other Creative Professionals, i do not create Custom Designs for events or messages that conflict with my conscience. I do not create cakes or halloween, for homosexual or antiamerican things, or disparage people, including people who identify as lgbt. It is never about the person, never about the person making the request. It is always about the cake. It is always about the message the person wants the cake to communicate. Im here at the Supreme Court today because i respectfully declined to create a custom cake that would celebrate a view of marriage in direct conflict with my faiths core teachings on marriage. I offer to sell the two gentleman who are suing me anything in my shop or create a design on a cake for any other occasion. For that decision, which was guided