Washington state florist: My life has been turned upside down because of my religious beliefs

As diverse as our country is, most Americans still share a few basic things in common.

We each have our beliefs, and we want to live our lives in ways that reflect them. We care about finding work that not only provides a good living, but also gives us a sense of joy. We want to love what we do.

Five years ago, I felt like I had all of that. But because I tried to do my work as an artist in ways that honored my religious beliefs, my home state of Washington turned my life upside down. Since then, my state has been prosecuting me because I declined, for religious reasons, one request to celebrate one event for one gay customer – a friend of mine named Rob, whom I’d been delighted to serve for nearly decade.

The Washington Supreme Court ruled against me last year with a decision that threatens to bankrupt my husband and me. But this week, the U.S. Supreme Court breathed new life into my case, sending it back to the Washington courts for further consideration.

This comes on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The high court in that case overturned the punishment of cake artist Jack Phillips for declining to create a custom wedding cake celebrating a same-sex marriage. I and my attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom, who represent both me and Jack, are now more hopeful than ever that my freedom will be protected, too.