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PHOENIX (ChurchMilitant.com) - The City of Phoenix is forcing artists to promote same-sex marriage with their art or risk $2,500 in daily fines and six months' jail time for each day they violate the city's non-discrimination ordinance.

The city ordinance, known as ordinance 18.4(B), requires artists to create art for "same-sex" weddings. In addition, it forbids businesses, including artists, from communicating any message publicly that could make someone feel "unwelcome" based on the person's gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristics. The artist is not even permitted explain why he refuses his services or explain his position on marriage publicly. To do so would violate the ordinance.

With the legal assistance of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), two local Christian artists, Breanna Koski and Joanna Duka, owners of Brush & Nib art studio, are fighting back. They filed a lawsuit after Phoenix investigated another local business for refusing to promote "same-sex" weddings. The city had filed a formal report saying ordinance 18.4(B) requires such businesses as Brush & Nib Studio to promote same-sex weddings and keep their opinions to themselves.

Last week, ADF filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Christian artists, known as a pre-enforcement challenge. This type of lawsuit allows citizens to challenge a law before the government enforces it against them.

The lawsuit is seeking a preliminary injunction against the ordinance so that it can't be enforced against the artists, challenging the ordinance as a violation of free speech. "By forcing Brush & Nib to create art for same-sex wedding ceremonies," the complaint alleges, "[the ordinance] violates a cardinal free speech principle: speakers have the right to choose the content of their own message.”

ADF attorney Jonathan Scruggs remarked,

Phoenix is playing favorites. It allows artists to speak and create in favor of same-sex marriage yet threatens to incarcerate artists if they speak or create only for opposite-sex marriage. We should all be concerned when the government tries to eradicate a particular idea by silencing adherents and forcing dissenters to profess orthodoxy.

Michael Voris discusses the legalization of "same-sex" marriage with guests on this free episode of "Mic'd Up—Sodomy Supremacy."

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