Barronelle Stutzman

Barronelle Stutzman

Owner, Arlene's Flowers

Barronelle Stutzman is the owner of Arlene’s Flowers in Richland, Washington.  Throughout her 41 years in floral design, Barronelle has served and employed people from all walks of life.  One of those customers was Rob Ingersoll, who identifies as gay.  Barronelle designed custom arrangements for Rob and his partner for nearly 10 years.  Despite this, the Washington Attorney General and the American Civil Liberties Union filed lawsuits against her for referring Rob to three other designers because she could not design custom arrangements to celebrate his same-sex ceremony. In July 2017, ADF petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Barronelle's case. In June 2018, the Court granted the petition and then sent the case back to the Washington Supreme Court, after vacating that court’s decision and instructing it to reconsider her lawsuit in light of the decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The matter is currently being briefed at the Washington Supreme Court.

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