Christian Wedding Photographer Emilee Carpenter Wins Free Speech Victory
A federal court has issued an order stopping New York from forcing a Christian wedding photographer to create messages violating her faith.
Emilee Carpenter is a photographer, blogger and owner of Emilee Carpenter Photography. Based in New York City, Emilee loves to use her creative abilities to glorify God, particularly through wedding photography.
Emilee says her love for celebrating marriage comes from her own faith and marriage story.
“I believe that love is so much more than a feeling and that marriage points to something greater, something deeper – to Jesus Christ!” Emilee says, adding,
As a Christian, Emilee firmly believes that marriage was created by God as a union between a man and a woman. Violating that belief would undermine not only her business, but her Christian witness too.
New York’s public accommodations law, however, bans discrimination based on sexual-orientation. This law not only requires her to create photographs and blogs celebrating so-called same-sex marriage, but it also prohibits her from adopting an editorial policy consistent with her beliefs about marriage.
Emilee isn’t even allowed to post statements on her business website sharing her religious views about marriage or explaining that she will only photograph engagements and weddings for opposite-sex couples.
New York’s law threatens Emilee with fines of up to $100,000, a revoked business license, and up to a year in jail.
You can watch a brief video of Emilee explaining more about her case below:
To protect her faith, her business, and to vindicate her First Amendment rights, Emily filed a complaint on April 6, 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York with help from lawyers with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
After the district court ruled against her, Emilee appealed the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Last July, the 2nd Circuit returned the case to the district court, directing it to reconsider the case in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in 303 Creative v. Elenis.
In 303 Creative, the Court ruled the First Amendment prohibits Colorado from forcing graphic artist and website designer Lorie Smith “to create expressive designs speaking messages with which the designer disagrees.”
On May 22, the district court granted Emilee a limited injunction, barring the state from forcing her to create messages inconsistent with her faith as her case moves forward.
“Free speech is for everyone, and more courts are ruling consistent with that message,” said ADF Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart in a statement after the court’s decision. “As the Supreme Court reaffirmed in 303 Creative, the government can’t force Americans to say things they don’t believe.”
Neihart added,
Emilee’s website features glowing reviews of her work.
“Emilee was so wonderful to work with!” one couple said. “For our engagement session and wedding photos she made us feel so comfortable and we actually had FUN.”
“Emilee made our photo shoot experience such an easy and fun one,” another couple wrote. “She has an extremely bubbly and funny personality and we enjoyed every minute of it.”
A third couple testified, “Emilee’s work is AMAZING!!! She is talented, easy, and fun to be around.”
Clearly, Emilee is great at her craft. So, if you or someone you know needs a photographer, consider Emilee Carpenter Photography. You’ll be supporting her work and helping her continue to stand bravely for her Christian faith, even in the face of New York’s anti-faith laws and environment.
You can check out her website to learn more. And please, offer a prayer for her as her case continues to move forward.
The case is Emilee Carpenter Photography v. Letitia James.
Related articles and resources:
Faithful Christian Witness in Our Modern World is Costly
Photo from Alliance Defending Freedom.
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