The openly gay mayor of Salt Lake City has blasted the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in favor of a Christian baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.
Jackie Biskupski said she was "disappointed" the high court "did not take the opportunity to reaffirm the long-standing principle in this country that businesses should be open to all people."
And she added Salt Lake City will strive to make sure such exclusion doesn't happen.
"Salt Lake City will continue to stand for equality for all people. If you do business in our City, you do business with everyone," Biskupski said.
On Monday, the court backed Jack Phillips, a Christian baker from Colorado who refused for religious reasons to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.
In their 7-2 decision, justices said the Colorado Civil Rights Commission's handling of claims brought against Phillips violated his religious rights under the First Amendment.
But the court did not make any ironclad definitive on the circumstances under which people can seek exemptions from anti-discrimination laws based because of their religious beliefs.
"We are relieved this ruling does not set any negative precedent," Biskupski said.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Utah's capital joined 102 cities in an amicus brief arguing in favor of David Mullins and Charlie Craig, who in 2012 were refused a wedding cake by Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, in Lakewood.
"LGBTQ people in this country must continue to wonder whether they may be refused service for who they are — and that's simply unacceptable," Biskupski said, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
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