Christian conservative Tony Perkins has
praised the Department of Justice's decision to file an amicus
brief in support of a baker who refused to serve a gay couple.
Jack Phillips, owner of Denver-based
Masterpiece Cakeshop, turned to the Supreme Court after state courts
found that he had discriminated against a male gay couple when he
refused to sell them a cake for their wedding reception. Phillips
has said that serving the couple would violate his religious faith.
In a 41-page brief filed Thursday,
lawyers for the government argue that sexual orientation
discrimination is not on the same footing as discrimination based on
race.
(Related: Trump
admin files Supreme Court brief in support of baker who refused to
serve gay couple.)
Perkins, who backed President Donald
Trump during his presidential election, helms the Family Research
Council (FRC). In a press release, he said that Trump “is doing
his job on religious liberty.”
“It may be one of the most important
religious liberty cases in a century – and President Trump isn’t
about to be on the wrong side of it. In the latest sign that this
isn’t Barack Obama’s DOJ, the administration is going to bat for
Jack Phillips, the Christian baker at the center of a five-year
firestorm over vendors’ forced participation in same-sex marriage.
In a brief to the Supreme Court, the last stop for his case, the
Justice Department argues that Jack was well within his rights to
turn down a wedding cake order for a ceremony that contradicts his
faith,” Perkins wrote.
“It’s time for the Supreme Court to
step in and stop this crusade against faith it started. President
Trump is doing his job on religious liberty. It’s the justices’
turn to do theirs,” he added.