HRC President Reacts to Supreme Court Oral Arguments in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy

WASHINGTON, DC- Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, a case out of Colorado that will determine whether religious schools receiving public funds from the state's universal preschool program can refuse to enroll students from LGBTQ+ families, thus violating the program's non-discrimination requirements. The decision could have a deep impact on Colorado's LGBTQ+ community, potentially undermining equality in education settings by allowing other religiously-affiliated schools in the program to deny or withdraw admittance based on the sexual orientation or gender identity of school applicants and their parents. As a result, LGBTQ+ families could be treated unfairly when facing pressure to stay in the closet for fear of getting turned away or kicked out simply for who they are. As LGBTQ+ people face numerous threats to important rights and freedoms under this administration, this case marks another critical moment in the fight for equality in education and beyond.

"This case is straightforward - schools receiving public funds from a state universal preschool program cannot be allowed to use taxpayer dollars to leave LGBTQ+ families behind," said HRC President Kelley Robinson. "As the arguments made clear today, Colorado's non-discrimination requirement ensures no family can be denied a quality education simply for who they are - it is lawful and should be upheld. Exclusion has no place in our educational system."

"Families are harmed when they're turned away from the publicly funded school that makes their lives work because of their protected class status," said Colorado Deputy Solicitor General Helen Norton during the oral arguments. "Think of the parent who needs a school that opens at 7:00 A.M. so she can get the bus that takes her to work. Think of the parent who needs a school that will take all three of her kids so she doesn't have to shuttle them among three different schools… For that parent to be turned away from those schools that make preschool possible for her family because of her protected status harms families and undermines Colorado's interest."

For more details, read HRC's backgrounder on the case here.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action-working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.