On Tuesday, November 15th, the Washington State Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case, State of Washington v. Arlene’s Flowers.
No one should be punished by the government for peacefully living and working consistent with her beliefs. Yet that’s exactly what’s happening to Barronelle Stutzman, a 73-year-old grandmother and florist in Washington State.
Barronelle is now at risk of losing everything: her life-savings, her home, her retirement. The Alliance Defending Freedom is defending her in court.
1) Pray for Barronelle
Pray for her and her family, her case, the Washington Supreme Court justices, and the attorneys arguing the case.
2) Share her story – #JusticeforBarronelle
Please encourage your friends and family to join you in Standing with Barronelle—there’s a groundswell across the country of people changing their social media profile picture to “I Stand With Barronelle” (pictured here).
WATCH LIVE: At 12 noon Eastern on Tuesday, November 15th, the Washington State Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case. To live stream, click here.
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Barronelle’s Story
Barronelle Stutzman has been a florist for 47 years. She served her longtime friend and customer Rob Ingersoll – and his partner – for over ten years. Because of her faith’s teachings about marriage, she referred Rob to three other florists because she could not participate in and design custom floral arrangements for his same sex wedding ceremony. Rob told Barronelle that he understood, they hugged, and he left.
But for simply exercising her constitutionally protected freedoms, the Washington State Attorney General and the ACLU sued her and are seeking to force her to participate in an event against her will. Barronelle stands to lose everything she owns.
Barronelle Stutzman came to Pennsylvania in October for the PA Family Institute’s Friends of the Family banquet. The laws that are being used to attack Barronelle are similar to the proposed laws that we battled in Pennsylvania this year. Here is the message she wanted to leave with everyone:
“I knew Rob was gay all those years – it never made a difference. If Rob walked into my store tomorrow, I would hug him, catch up on his life and wait on him for another 10 years.
Because we believe that marriage, there’s no right for the government to come in and tell us what to do, what to say, what to think, what to create, what to believe. We do not live in a free America if that’s the case. That’s what they’re trying to make of [my husband] and I – an example that if you do stand up, we will destroy you.
So I’m asking you not to let that happen to you. God died for us. What do we offer him?”
Pray for Barronelle Stutzman and her family. Please share her story and consider joining folks from around the country in changing your profile picture to the “I Stand with Barronelle” logo.
PRAYING FOR YOUR SUCCESS.
Gov’t should protect freedom, not threaten it. What they’re doing to this grandmother is wrong bit.ly/2eWwVSh #JusticeForBarronelle
Tolerance is a two-way street. https://pafamily.org/2016/11/stand/ #JusticeForBarronelle
Freedom is on trial in Washington State today. Pray for Barronelle bit.ly/2eWwVSh #JusticeForBarronelle
The Pilgrims came here to practice their religion freely. The Constitution guarantees us religious freedom. How have we moved so far away from the rights our ancestors established and fought to protect?? We now live like man is the author of life and our creator not God!
Imagine if they had refused to serve a black couple due to religious beliefs. Would anyone but Bannon think that was OK? If you won’t serve the public, don’t open a retail business.
That is not the same thing at all
Are you referring to a black gay couple?