Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) published a recent report detailing the multitude of cases the organization has handled regarding efforts to weaponize government against artists.
Several of these cases were covered extensively in the media – both on the left and right. These legal battles highlight the ongoing effort to prevent authoritarian leftists from using the government to not only silence viewpoints but also to compel speech.
However, the artists’ battles are a microcosm of what is happening on a larger scale in America with power-hungry leftists who have no problem using governments to violate our liberties to advance their agenda.
The report highlights a growing trend where the authoritarian left uses government power to compel artists to endorse progressive views on gender identity and sexuality – even if it conflicts with their moral or religious beliefs. This pattern is most evident in the legal battles involving creative professionals who have refused to produce art promoting messages with which they fundamentally disagree.
Cases like 303 Creative v. Elenis, Masterpiece Cakeshop, and Elane Photography exemplify this war on liberty. These artists were sued for refusing to create works that contradict their religious or personal beliefs related to gender identity and same-sex marriage.
The report outlines how the progressive left uses public accommodation laws and civil rights commissions to compel speech under the guise of opposing discrimination. Yet, in these cases, the artists are not refusing service to people based on their identity, but they are declining to create art that conveys messages that do not align with their values.
Each of these artists would be happy to create art for an LGBTQ individual if the message they wanted did not conflict with their beliefs. But, by framing these decisions as “discrimination,” authoritarian leftists seek to eliminate dissenting viewpoints from the public square. They aim to force those who disagree with them to either remain silent or suffer legal financial consequences. Even further, they do not only want to silence dissenting viewpoints, they actively seek to use the force of government to compel them to support their ideology.
In a free society, freedom of speech means not only being able to express one’s opinions but also exercising the right not to speak. The left is actively attacking these rights.
The battle over art is one of several battlefields in the war to control people’s speech. Those on the anti-speech side believe the state should punish anything they consider to be discrimination.
Historically, public accommodation laws were created to ensure that people were not denied access to essential goods and services due to their race, religion, or sexual or gender identity. Now, authoritarian leftists are perverting these laws, twisting them to turn the government into their own ideological enforcement tool.
This same battle is playing out in academia, corporations, media, and other areas. Progressives seek to marginalize those who hold non-leftist views. Their push to redefine the boundaries of acceptable speech leads to a chilling effect where folks are intimidated into self-censoring out of fear of social ostracism or legal repercussions. The message is clear: Say something we don’t like, and we will ruin your life.
If these cases tell us anything, it is that defending free speech against the authoritarian impulses of the hard left is paramount and cannot be overstated. The left is engaged in a full-on effort to control what we can and cannot say, First Amendment be damned. If they can accomplish this by subverting the Constitution while also using non-governmental weapons, they will do it.
Fortunately, ADF’s successes in fighting these cases have helped tremendously. The Supreme Court’s ruling in 303 Creative v. Elenis sets an important precedent for resisting government overreach by reinforcing the principle that free speech also includes the right not to be forced to express ideas and messages that run contrary to one’s beliefs.
This is how we fight back.
Individuals and organizations can resist the left by leveraging legal avenues, building coalitions, and fostering public awareness. Also, supporting organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom is essential. These groups play a critical role in defending free speech and limiting the government’s role in regulating it.
The battle for speech is ongoing and will not end until Americans understand the importance of preventing the state from having a say in what ideas we choose to express or not express. As the authoritarian left continues its crusade to compel us to subscribe to their views, our liberty remains at stake. Let’s not allow them to gain any more ground.
