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Littwin: Supreme Court just can’t stay away from Colorado when it comes to LGBTQ rights

Coloradosun · · 997 words · By Mike Littwin; Larry Ryckman
LGBTQ Rights vs. Religious Freedom Supreme Court Judicial Trends
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What to know about LGBTQ Rights vs. Religious Freedom

Once again the Supreme Court is coming after Colorado on LBGTQ rights, agreeing to hear yet another such case in the next term, which starts in October, not long before the midterms.

Claims checked 10
Techniques found 3
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Once again the Supreme Court is coming after Colorado on LBGTQ rights, agreeing to hear yet another such case in the next term, which starts in October, not long before the midterms.

Why it matters

Once again —easy prediction here — Colorado will lose in the LGBTQ-unfriendly high court, and the Catholic Church and religious right will win.

Common ground

They probably won’t win with Colorado voters, who, in 2020, approved the ballot measure in question, which funds preschools —private, public, religious or otherwise — so long as they don’t discriminate against anyone, which seems like a small enough ask for…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Straw Man, Selective Omission: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/22/littwin-supreme-court-colorado-lgbtq-rights/

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Straw Man 75% confidence
Misrepresenting an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing straw man helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Selective Omission 80% confidence
Deliberately leaving out important context or facts that would change interpretation.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing selective omission helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4
check_circle Corroborated 4
help Insufficient Evidence 2
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Claim 1: “And yet the courts, up to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, have ruled that the law is neutral toward religion and that the schools are the ones guilty of discrimination.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results mention that the appeals court ruled on the case, but they do not explicitly state that the ruling was made 'up to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit' or that the ruling was that the law is neutral toward religion and that the schools are guilty of discrimination. The evidence is focused on the outcome of the appeals court ruling regarding the program's inclusivity.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (in case citations, 8th Cir.) is a United States federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts: …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (in case citations, 10th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: District of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal judiciary. They hear appeals of cases from the United States district courts and some U.S. admini…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_courts_of_appeal…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “The two Catholic churches — St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton and St. Bernadette Catholic Parish in Lakewood — have been joined in the high court case by the Trump administration and the Archdiocese of Denver.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that the case involves St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton and St. Bernadette Catholic Parish in Lakewood, and that the Archdiocese of Denver is involved. One source also mentions support from the 'Republican Trump administration,' corroborating the involvement of these parties.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Charles Joseph Chaput, OFMCap ( SHAP-yoo; born September 26, 1944) is an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Philadelphia from 2011 to 2020. He previously served as Archbishop of Den…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_J._Chaput
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — José Horacio Gómez Velasco (born December 26, 1951) is a Mexican-American prelate of the Catholic Church. He became the fifth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in California in 2011. He pre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/José_Horacio_Gómez
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Philip Jacob Weiser (born May 10, 1968) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the 39th Attorney General of Colorado since 2019. He is the Hatfield Professor of Law and Telecommunicati…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Weiser
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 3: “He ruled that people’s religious beliefs do not excuse them from following “conduct that government is free to regulate.””
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found for this claim in the provided evidence set.
help
Claim 4: “Justice Antonin Scalia, the court’s leading conservative thinker, wrote the opinion ruling against the employees [in Employment Division v. Smith].”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found for this claim in the provided evidence set.
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Claim 5: “The churches charge that they’re the ones being discriminated against because the state won’t take into account their teachings that a union can only be between one man and one woman.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim reflects the argument made by the parishes, which is mentioned in the context of the legal dispute in the web search results. However, there are no independent sources or Wikipedia entries that explicitly quote or corroborate the specific phrasing that the parishes argue they are being discriminated against *because* the state won't account for their teachings that a union can only be between one man and one woman. The evidence points to the conflict over religious teachings generally.
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web search NEUTRAL — During its long history, the Catholic Church has been subject to criticism regarding various beliefs and practices. Within the church, this often involves opposition or support for practices associate…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_the_Catholic_Chur…
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web search NEUTRAL — Using the Synodal Process, the Online Young Adult Seekers Small Christian Community (SCC) provides some insights and proposes some solutions. As the church navigates the complexities of modern times, …
https://catholicchurchreformintl.org/the-main-challenges-fac…
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web search NEUTRAL — Universal Preschool Program (UPK). Appellants are the Archdiocese of Denver, two Catholic parishes, and two parents of preschool-age children, UPK that requires all preschools receiving funds to sign …
https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/opinions/0101…
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Claim 6: “Here’s what the Colorado law has to say: To participate, public and private schools cannot discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, lack of housing, income level or disability.”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results quote or paraphrase the specific non-discrimination requirements: one citing the law requiring no discrimination based on 'race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, lack of housing, income level, or disability,' and another referencing the program requirement stating schools must provide equal opportunity 'regardless of race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, lack of housing, income level, or disability.'
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web search NEUTRAL — Under these laws, public schools and school districts must not, in any program or activity, discriminate against students, parents and guardians, employees, and others on the basis of race, color, nat…
https://ed.cde.state.co.us/mtss/preventing-harassment-discri…
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web search NEUTRAL — The program requirement says that schools must provide all children equal opportunity for enrollment "regardless of race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, lack of…
https://coloradonewsline.com/2024/06/06/colorado-preschool-p…
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web search NEUTRAL — The legal fight is the latest to land before the Supreme Court in recent years that involve religious entities' participation in state-funded programs.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-colorado-preschoo…
info
Claim 7: “A 1990 case, Employment Division v. Smith, centered on whether a private drug rehabilitation center could fire two employees for using peyote in a ceremony in their Native American church.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results provide general information about the year 1990, but none of the results specifically mention the case *Employment Division v. Smith* or the details regarding peyote use and drug rehabilitation centers. Therefore, the claim cannot be verified using the provided evidence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The events of the 1990s include such defining moments as the collapse of the Soviet Union, the founding of Amazon and Google, and the Persian Gulf War.
https://www.britannica.com/story/timeline-of-the-1990s
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web search NEUTRAL — 1990 was an important year in the Internet 's early history. In late 1990, Tim Berners-Lee created the first web server and the foundation for the World Wide Web. Test operations began around December…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990
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web search NEUTRAL — Historical events from year 1990. Learn about 807 famous, scandalous and important events that happened in 1990 or search by date or keyword.
https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1990
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Claim 8: “In affirming a lower court’s decision, The Court of Appeals seemed to agree, ruling that Colorado “went to great effort to be welcoming and inclusive of faith-based preschools’ participation.””
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results state that the appeals court found that the Universal Preschool Program 'went to great effort to be welcoming and inclusive of faith-based preschools' participation,' directly corroborating the claim.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Colorado Court of Appeals (Colo. App.) is the intermediate-level appellate court for the state of Colorado. It was initially established by statute in 1891 and was reestablished in its current fo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Court_of_Appeals
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (in case citations, 10th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: District of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts: District of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 9: “two Colorado Catholic parish preschools have brought the case all the way to the high court after they were ruled ineligible for the program because they don’t allow LGBTQ families to enroll at their schools.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that two Catholic parishes in Colorado are involved in a high court case regarding their ineligibility for a state-funded program because they do not allow LGBTQ families to enroll. Sources mention the plaintiffs include two Catholic parishes and the Archdiocese of Denver.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The relationship between the Catholic Church and homosexuality is complex and often contentious, involving various conflicting views between the Catholic Church and some in the LGBTQ community. Accord…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_homosexual…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dean Withers (born September 1, 2004) is an American liberal political commentator and live streamer on TikTok and YouTube. He gained prominence starting in 2023 for challenging conservative viewpoint…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Withers
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Colorado enjoy the same rights as non-LGBTQ people. In 1972, Colorado became one of the first U.S. states to decrimin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBTQ_rights_in_Colorado
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 10: “Once again the Supreme Court is coming after Colorado on LBGTQ rights, agreeing to hear yet another such case in the next term, which starts in October, not long before the midterms.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results discuss the Supreme Court taking up the case regarding Catholic preschools and LGBTQ+ rights, mentioning the next term, but none of the provided evidence explicitly states that the Supreme Court 'agreed to hear yet another such case in the next term, which starts in October.' The evidence confirms the case is before the Supreme Court, but the specific details about the timing ('next term, which starts in October') are not corroborated by multiple independent sources.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, 600 U.S. 570 (2023), is a United States Supreme Court decision that dealt with the intersection of anti-discrimination law in public accommodations and the Free Speech Clau…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/303_Creative_LLC_v._Elenis
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Chiles v. Salazar, 607 U.S. ___ (2026), is a United States Supreme Court case which ruled that the First Amendment to the United States Constitution requires strict scrutiny be applied to laws passed …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiles_v._Salazar
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 584 U.S. 617 (2018), was a case in the Supreme Court of the United States that addressed whether owners of public accommodations can refuse ce…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterpiece_Cakeshop_v._Colora…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.