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At 10 AM the Supreme Court, with a Justice Barrett, will be hearing oral argument in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. I will be live tweeting the argument but here is some critical background. The stakes are exceedingly high.
The case involves whether the City of Philadelphia can be forced by the Constitution to provide government contracts to faith-based organizations that provide government services in a discriminatory manner. In other words, does the Constitution mandate gov't discrimination.
The specifics involve a Catholic Social Services agency that discriminates against LGBTQ families in foster and adoption services. The question is whether the City of Philadelphia *must* continue its contract with the agency despite the discrimination.
In another similar case, a Protestant agency refused to place children with non-Protestant families turning away prospective families who were Jewish and Catholic. And the people who suffer the most are the children in foster care denied placements and left in congregate care.
The outcome of the case will have huge implications for the enforcement of civil rights laws. If the Court finds a constitutional right to receive government contracts even where the services are delivered in a discriminatory manner it will hurt so many people.
It will affect medical care services, shelter services, drug treatment services and more. Here is an important run down from my colleague @gabrielarkles on the stakes and implications: https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbt-rights/dont-let-the-supreme-court-open-the-door-to-more-discrimination-against-lgbtq-people/
Here is a podcast on the larger context of the expanding religious right to discriminate: https://www.aclu.org/podcast/supreme-court-case-could-jeopardize-lgbtq-rights-ep-124
If you are worried about trans people's access to health care & the future of marriage equality then this is the case you should be following. This is the future of civil rights protections. This is the measure of where this Court is heading. Argument starts at 10 ET. Here we go.
