Ms. Huguenin’s lawyer and others argue that there is a difference between serving a ham sandwich at a lunch counter and producing a series of photographs telling the unique story of a couple’s wedding day.
Embedded in the legal debate is a basic question: Is wedding photography a form of art? And, if so, can a wedding photographer be compelled by the government to engage in artistic expression against her will?
The central issue in the Huguenin case wasn’t just whether the job would offend Huguenin’s religious belief that marriage is a God-ordained union exclusively between one man and one woman.
It was also whether enforcement of New Mexico’s antidiscrimination law could coerce her to use her creative talents to tell a story she didn’t wish to tell, argued Huguenin’s lawyer, Jordan Lorence of the conservative law group, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
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