Christian photographer wins court battle

Chelsey Nelson challenged a Louisville, Ky., law that would have forced her to compromise her religious beliefs and photograph a same-sex wedding. Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented the Christian photographer, announced on Friday that a federal court temporarily blocked the city from enforcing its law against Nelson. “The city has no right to eliminate the editorial control she has over her own photographs and blogs,” ADF senior counsel Jonathan Scruggs said.

Why did the court grant a preliminary injunction? U.S. District Judge Justin Walker said that Nelson likely would win her case in court. He said her photography was art and would qualify as speech protected by the First Amendment. “The Constitution does not require a choice between gay rights and freedom of speech,” Walker wrote. “It demands both.”

Dig deeper: Read Steve West’s report in Liberties on similar cases across the country.