A civil rights commission in Colorado that had taken a legal case against a Christian baker for refusing to make a cake celebrating a gender transition has dropped its legal challenge against him. The commission had previously sued the baker for refusing to make a cake celebrating a same-sex wedding. The baker appealed that case all the way to the Supreme Court and won on the basis that the Commission had shown an anti-religious bias. On the same day that case was decided, the Commission initiated this second case. Attorney’s for the baker charged the Commission with showing ‘ongoing hostility’ after comments were made at a 2018 public meeting in which two commissioners voiced their support for comments that a previous commissioner, Diann Rice, made in 2015, calling religious freedom “a despicable piece of rhetoric.”

“Today is a win for freedom. I’m very grateful and looking forward to serving my customers as I always have: with love and respect,” Phillips told Fox News, adding that he never imagined this chapter of his life — which has cost him over 40 percent of his business and six-and-a-half years tied up in legal proceedings.” — when he opened up his cake shop years ago.