Buttigieg says Supreme Court gay wedding website case shows 'a solution looking for a problem'
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Sunday said the Supreme Court’s recent decision to side with a Christian web designer who rejected the creation of same-sex wedding websites as an example of “a solution looking for a problem.”
A person cited by the designer as making the request later told news media outlets he had not in fact done so and was a straight man who was a web designer himself. The request wasn't the basis of the lawsuit, but was used as a reference by the designer's attorneys as the case made its way all the way up to the high court.
Buttigieg, who is openly gay, cited the fact that the designer wasn't even approached for such a request to speak out against the majority opinion.
"I think it's very revealing that there's no evidence that this web designer was ever even approached by anyone asking for a website for a same-sex wedding. Matter of fact, it appears this web designer only went into the wedding business for the purpose of provoking a case like this," Buttigieg said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“In that senes, I think there's something in common between this Supreme Court ruling and what we're seeing happening in state legislatures across the country, which is kind of a solution looking for a problem," he added.
"In other words, sending these kinds of things to the courts and sending these kinds of things to state legislatures for the clear purpose of chipping away at the equality and the rights that have so recently been won in the LGBTQ+ community," Buttigieg said.
As the court wrapped up its term with major decisions last week, the justices ruled that a Colorado-based Christian web designer, may legally refuse services to LGBTQ people, and isn't beholden to a state law prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations.
President Biden, who appointed Buttigieg, said he's "deeply concerned" that the decision "could invite more discrimination against LGBTQI+ Americans."