Man Named in Supreme Court’s Gay Rights Ruling Denies Request for Wedding Website

A web designer from Colorado, whose right to refuse making wedding websites for gay couples was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, has cited a request from an individual who claims to have never approached her for services.

The disputed request, allegedly made by an individual identified as “Stewart,” was not the primary basis for the preemptive federal lawsuit filed seven years ago by Lorie Smith, the web designer. The request was brought up by Smith’s attorneys during the case’s progression when lawyers representing the state of Colorado questioned the grounds for her lawsuit.

This revelation has diverted attention from Smith’s legal victory at a time when she might have expected to celebrate, but instead finds herself entangled in a setback for gay rights.

In court documents from 2017, Smith named Stewart as the requester and included his contact information, such as his phone number and email address. However, Stewart informed The Big Big News that he never submitted such a request and was unaware of his involvement in the lawsuit until contacted by a reporter from The New Republic, the first to report his denial.

“I was extremely surprised, considering the fact that I have been happily married to a woman for the past 15 years,” said Stewart, who chose not to disclose his last name due to concerns of harassment and threats. His contact information, excluding his last name, appeared in the court documents.

Stewart, who identifies as a designer himself, stated that he could create his own website if necessary. He expressed his concern that no one had investigated the authenticity of the request attributed to him until recently.

Smith’s attorney, Kristen Waggoner, asserted during a news conference on Friday that the wedding request naming Stewart had indeed been submitted through Smith’s website and dismissed claims of fabrication.

Waggoner suggested that it could have been a troll who made the request, an occurrence she claimed to have encountered with other clients she represented. In 2018, her client, Colorado baker Jack Phillips, achieved a partial victory in the U.S. Supreme Court after refusing to create a wedding cake for a gay couple, citing his Christian faith.

“It is undisputed that the request was received,” Waggoner stated. “Whether it was a troll and not a genuine request, or if it was someone seeking that particular outcome, is irrelevant to the case.”

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser labeled the lawsuit as a “fabricated case” since Smith was not providing wedding website services when the suit was initially filed.

While Weiser was not aware of the specifics regarding Stewart’s denial, he expressed his belief that the Supreme Court should not have addressed the merits of the lawsuit “without any basis in reality.”

Approximately one month after the case was filed in federal court, challenging an anti-discrimination law in Colorado, the state’s lawyers argued that Smith had not suffered any harm from the law and sought to dismiss the case.

Smith’s legal team maintained that she did not need to face punishment for violating the law before challenging it. In February 2017, they stated that despite not requiring a request to pursue the case, Smith had indeed received one.

“Any assertion that Lorie would never receive a request to create a custom website celebrating a same-sex ceremony is no longer valid because Lorie has received such a request,” they asserted.

Smith’s filings to the Supreme Court briefly mentioned that she had received at least one request to create a website commemorating a same-sex wedding. However, there did not appear to be any reference to this issue in the court’s decision.

Rhonda Shafner, a researcher for Big Big News, contributed to this report from New York.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about controversy surrounding cited request

More about controversy surrounding cited request

• U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the case
• The New Republic article on Stewart’s denial
• Colorado anti-discrimination law
• Previous Supreme Court case involving Colorado baker Jack Phillips
• Statement from Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser
• Web designer Lorie Smith’s attorney Kristen Waggoner’s statements
• Big Big News article with additional research