May 2016 was a very confusing and angry year for some LGBTQ couples in Phoenix, more specifically LGBTQ couples who were getting married.

A Phoenix wedding card business, “The Brush & Nib Studio”, refused to produce wedding invitations for LGBTQ couples due to the artists’ religious beliefs. Owners Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski claim that the Phoenix code 18-4(B)(1)-(3) , which requires that they create wedding cards for same-sex couples, violates their artistic and religious freedom rights and so they filed a lawsuit against the city.

The Brush & Nib Studio was founded in 2015. They specialize in Christian hand painting and hand lettering for weddings, special occasions, and home decor. The owners state, “…could not condone lying to customers or wasting customers’ time – telling customers that Brush & Nib would create something it couldn’t.” And they could not stomach staying silent about the very beliefs that inspire their art. The studio has had a good reputation until it came to the public’s attention that they were showing a form of discrimination.

So far, two courts have upheld the constitutionality of the ordinance and denied the arguments made by the artists, who believe that a marriage should be between a man and woman and no other way.