(LifeSiteNews) – Colorado’s Democratic Governor Jared Polis should side with Christian baker Jack Phillips in his fight for his First Amendment right to freedom of expression.
The Colorado Supreme Court recently announced it would hear Phillips’ challenge of a past ruling against him, thanks to the 303 Creative v. Elenis decision this summer.
Polis has been described as more of a “libertarian,” particularly when compared to his own party. He also believes his party is “more pro-freedom than Republican[s],” according to a September interview he did with John Stossel for Reason, a libertarian publication.
But when it comes to Phillips’ right to decline to create a message he opposes, such as transgenderism or same-sex “marriage,” Polis finds himself on the opposite side.
His state once again targeted Phillips, fining him after he declined to bake a “gender transition” cake requested by a gender-confused activist. Even though the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) admonished the Colorado Civil Rights Commission for its hostility toward Phillips’ beliefs, the baker once again has to fight for his freedoms.
Polis had similar views on the Elenis case. Polis explained why he opposed Lorie Smith’s right to decline to create websites promoting same-sex “marriage.”
“If you’re a public accommodation or storefront, you can’t say no Blacks, no Jews, no gays,” Polis told Stossel. “Obviously, you don’t accept a commission to paint something or do something that you don’t agree with. There’s a gray area…what’s creative and what’s public accommodation.”
Polis apparently does not understand what state officials were doing. Smith never said she wouldn’t serve clients who have homosexual inclinations. She, like Phillips, merely opposed using her creative abilities to promote certain messages.
One issue for Polis might be that taking this position would make him unpopular in his own party. He would be siding with a Christian small business owner and against the agenda of radical LGBT activists.
Polis, who is a homosexual “married” to another man, will win more favors within his own party if he is “libertarian” on issues they like, such as making marijuana easily available. Or as Stossel said, “Sometimes I think abortion is the only choice Democrats support.”
Polis has made statements in support of right-leaning individuals before, such as when he recently criticized a public school for punishing a 12-year-old who wore a Gadsen “Don’t Tread On Me” patch on his backpack. This is a small glimmer of hope.
Polis should also consider how his opposition to civil asset forfeiture is at odds with his support for government agents harassing Phillips and forcing him to either make cakes that promote messages he opposes or go out of business. While in Congress, Polis supported limits on civil asset forfeiture, a mechanism law enforcement uses to sell off possessions from people accused, but not convicted, of crimes. Yet Colorado law empowers state agents to essentially force Phillips to sell off his assets to pay fines for refusing to promote homosexuality or transgenderism.
The governor should stand up for freedom of expression and intervene in support of Phillips. He can do this by asking for revisions to the state’s anti-discrimination laws that are being weaponized against Christians and publicly speaking out against the persecution.
At a minimum he can make public statements and he should also call on his fellow Democrats to support the religious liberties of Christians who believe in Biblical marriage, the only true kind that exists.