Gay pride T-shirt case going before Kentucky Supreme Court

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky Supreme Court justices are scheduled to hear oral arguments in a case over a company’s refusal to print T-shirts for a gay-pride festival due to religious beliefs.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the arguments on Friday will help the court decide whether or not the company, Hands on Originals, violated a Lexington ordinance.

The city’s Gay and Lesbian Services Organization tried to order the T-shirts for its 2012 Gay Pride Festival. An owner of Hands On Originals, Blaine Adamson, refused the order, citing his Christian beliefs.

The Lexington Human Rights Commission ruled that the company violated an ordinance that outlaws discrimination based on sexual orientation. The company appealed to the Fayette Circuit Court, which ruled in its favor. An appeals court affirmed the lower court’s decision.