The Justice Department on Thursday filed a statement of interest in a federal lawsuit in which a Kentucky photographer claims a Louisville ordinance forces her to take pictures of same-sex weddings.
The statement of interest says commercial photographer Chelsey Nelson has a First Amendment right to refuse to work at an event that would violate her religious convictions.
“Ms. Nelson fears that her belief structure will result in the Defendants’ taking enforcement action against her violating” the ordinance, reads the statement, signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney General Eric S. Dreiband.
Ms. Nelson filed the lawsuit against the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.
She said she habitually refuses to photograph anything at weddings that might be “dishonorable to God” and worries a two-decade-old, anti-discrimination ordinance will be weaponized against her.
Attorneys for Ms. Nelson say they filed the lawsuit in the aftermath of a U.S. Supreme Court decision defending a Christian baker’s decision to decline to bake a cake for a gay couple celebrating their wedding.
• Christopher Vondracek can be reached at cvondracek@washingtontimes.com.
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