Louisville to pay $800K after Christian photographer beats law forcing her to shoot same-sex weddings

"Artists like me should have the right to decide what messages we express," Nelson added. "You shouldn't lose your freedom of speech when you choose to make a living. I am grateful that I can continue photographing and creating consistent with my religious beliefs and ensure that all artists in Louisville can do the same." 

"That 2023 decision confirmed this Court's 2022 interpretation of the First Amendment to bar the City of Louisville from enforcing an ordinance prohibiting wedding photographer Chelsey Nelson from stating her traditional (now dissenting) views on traditional marriage or declining to participate in those ceremonies," the September ruling said.

"Louisville's law threatened to compel Nelson to create photographs and blogs celebrating a message about marriage she does not believe and prohibited her from expressing her views on marriage on her studio's website," according to the legal group. 

"The government cannot force Americans to say things they don't believe," Bryan Neihart, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the office of Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg for comment.