Carrboro elected leaders have signed onto an amicus brief filed in a case before the United States Supreme Court over LGBTQ discrimination by a Colorado bake shop.

Mayor Lydia Lavelle signed on with 150 mayors from across the country as part of the Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination. Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger also joined the brief earlier in the week. Lavelle is one of the few openly gay mayors in North Carolina.

Masterpiece Cakeshop is a case pending before the nation’s high court considering a Denver baker who “refused to sell a wedding cake to a same-sex couple, attempting to create a constitutional right to discriminate based on religious grounds,” according to a release from the town.

The owners of the bakery at the center of this case contend they should be exempt from enforcement of the Colorado’s non-discrimination law based on religion or free speech grounds rooted in their religious opposition to same-sex marriage.

“The Town of Carrboro has a history of supporting the LGBT community. By signing on to this brief, we are standing by basic principles of equality – that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or identity, should be able to receive the same services in public places,” Lavelle said in a release.

Supreme Court justices are scheduled to hear oral arguments in this case on December 5.

Related Stories
‹
Local Officials Denounce Violence Against LGBTQ+ Community
On November 14, over 125 elected officials and organizations in North Carolina crafted and signed a statement denouncing violence and hateful rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community.
U.S. Female Firefighters Fight Discrimination with Lawsuits
The highest ranking female firefighter in Asheville, North Carolina, says she was repeatedly discriminated against because of her sex and fought to keep her job while battling breast cancer. The first female chief of a municipal fire department in the state says she briefly pondered suicide after years of sexual harassment. Joy Ponder and Susanna […]
Chapel Hill Joins LGBT Cake Shop Discrimination Supreme Court Brief
Chapel Hill leadership has joined an amicus brief filed in a case before the United States Supreme Court over LGBTQ discrimination by a Colorado bake shop. Mayor Pam Hemminger, after receiving support from the Town Council, signed on with 150 mayors from across the country as part of the Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination. Masterpiece Cakeshop […]
Carrboro Mayor, Alderman Sign Open Letter to Trump Advocating LGBT Policies
Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle and Alderman Damon Seils are two of the few openly LGBT elected officials across North Carolina. The Carrboro leaders were two of 156 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elected officials who signed an open letter to President-elect Donald Trump on Friday ahead of Trump’s inauguration. The letter begins congratulating Trump on […]
Want To Honor Orlando? Fight Homophobia.
The gun debate is great and all, but first let's take a stand against bigotry.
In HB2 Court Fight, Both Sides Admit They're Wrong
The HB2 question: does the word "sex" include "gender identity"? Some say yes, some say no - but it's not who you think.
Facts And Myths (That McCrory Forgot) About House Bill 2
Governor McCrory is trying to dispel some "myths" about House Bill 2. Here are a few more he forgot about.
Carrboro Board of Aldermen Call Special Meeting Over HB2
The Carrboro Board of Aldermen has called a special meeting for one o’clock Saturday afternoon at Carrboro Town Hall. A notification of the meeting says it has been called to “consider a resolution concerning Session Law 2016-3 (House Bill 2).” HB2 was passed through the North Carolina legislature on Wednesday to repeal a Charlotte City […]
Think You Can Enforce House Bill 2? Take This Easy Quiz!
Can you tell the difference between men and women? House Bill 2 thinks you can. Let's find out.
Carrboro: Freight Train Blues Begins, Different Takes on Downtown Area Plan, and 'Move With The Mayor'
Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee joins 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell over the phone on Friday, May 16.
›