Denver, CO
Colorado Supreme Court to hear arguments in transgender cake case
The Colorado Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit against a Christian baker who refused to make a cake celebrating a gender transition, one of three such cases from the state that have pitted LGBTQ+ civil rights against First Amendment rights.
Two cases have centered on baker Jack Phillips, who in 2012 refused to bake a cake for a gay couple’s wedding. Phillips partially prevailed before the U.S. Supreme Court in that case in 2018.
Phillips was later sued by Autumn Scardina, a transgender woman, after Phillips and his suburban Denver bakery refused to make a pink cake with blue frosting for her birthday that also celebrated her gender transition.
Scardina, an attorney, said she brought the lawsuit to “challenge the veracity” of Phillips’ statements that he would serve LGBTQ+ customers.
That case to be argued before the Colorado Supreme Court involves the state’s anti-discrimination law against refusing to provide services based on protected characteristics such as race, religion or sexual orientation.
The Colorado Court of Appeals previously sided with Scardina, ruling that the cake — on which Scardina did not request any writing — was not a form of speech.
The appeals court noted that Phillips’ shop initially agreed to make the cake but then refused after Scardina explained she was going to use it to celebrate her gender transition, with the blue exterior and pink interior reflecting her male-to-female transition.
“We conclude that creating a pink cake with blue frosting is not inherently expressive and any message or symbolism it provides to an observer would not be attributed to the baker,” read the unanimous ruling by the three-judge appeals court in 2023.
The court also found that the anti-discrimination law did not violate business owners’ right to practice or express their religion.
Phillips has maintained that the cakes he creates are a form of speech protected under the First Amendment.
Another recent case in Colorado centers on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights. Last summer, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado graphic artist who didn’t want to design wedding websites for same-sex couples.
Graphic artist Lorie Smith, who like Phillips is represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, challenged the same state law. The court’s conservative majority said forcing her to create websites for same-sex weddings would violate her free speech rights.
Both sides in the dispute over Scardina’s cake order think the new U.S. Supreme Court ruling will bolster their arguments.
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Denver, CO
Nuggets vs. Timberwolves | 3 keys to a Denver win in Game 3
Denver, CO
Motorcyclist seriously injured in Denver hit-and-run crash – AOL
DENVER (KDVR) — Denver police are investigating a hit-and-run crash involving a motorcycle on Tuesday evening.
The Denver Police Department reported that the crash also involved a motorist and happened at East 9th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.
The motorcyclist was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Police did not release any description of the suspect vehicle.
Denver police said drivers should expect delays in the area.
This is developing news.
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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Denver, CO
Houston County murder suspect returns to face charges after her arrest in Denver
HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. (WGXA) — A woman accused of murder at Houston Lake Apartments back in March has returned to Middle Georgia after her arrest in Denver.
27-year-old Tylar Oglesby of Warner Robins is now in custody in Houston County for her alleged role in the shooting death of Diandre Oates at Houston Lake Apartments on the night of March 12.
MIDDLE GEORGIA CRIME | Incident report reveals new details on human remains found in a west Macon creek
Officers on the scene found Oates with a gunshot wound behind the 1700 building, and he was then pronounced dead by the Houston County Coroner’s Office.
The first arrest made in the case happened on March 18, with Perry Police arresting Alexander Culler on a warrant for murder surrounding Oates’ death.
Oglesby was arrested over a week later in Denver, Colo., on a warrant for a party to a crime in connection with the fatal shooting.
Oglesby has since returned to Middle Georgia from Denver, where she faces a pending murder charge at the Houston County Detention Center.
Stick with WGXA where we’re keeping you ready for what’s next.
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