WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Intolerance for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court ruling in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.

“In a ruling that was a personal victory for one baker in Colorado, the United States Supreme Court made it clear that LGBT individuals should not be discriminated against or face ‘indignities,’ as described by Justice Kennedy, ‘when they seek goods and services in an open market.’ A majority of justices were clear that discrimination based on sexual orientation or religion are both wrong.

“Maryland, like Colorado, has a clear anti-discrimination law to protect individuals based on sexual orientation. To add clarity at the federal level, Congress should move forward and pass the Equality Act (S. 1006), which would explicitly ban discrimination in a host of areas, including employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, access to credit, and federal funding,” Senator Cardin added.

“Every American deserves the same freedoms, the same opportunities, and the same protections under the law.”