'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
American actor Michael Imperioli shared his thoughts on the Supreme Court's latest ruling siding with a Colorado-based Christian web designer who refused to create a website to celebrate same-sex marriages due to religious sentiments. On July 1, the 57-year-old star took to his Instagram handle to slam people who supported the verdict.
Sharing an image on the headline reading, "Supreme Court protects web designer who won't do gay weddings," Imperioli thanked the federal judiciary "for allowing" him to "exclude" and "discriminate" people who don't support his ideology.
"I’ve decided to forbid bigots and homophobes from watching The Sopranos, The White Lotus, Goodfellas or any movie or tv show I’ve been in."
In the comments section of the post, Michael Imperioli said that the country is becoming "dumber by the minute," and added that "hate and ignorance" is not a valid point of view.
Michael Imperioli's net worth explored
Born on March 26, 1966, Michael Imperioli is a native of Mount Vernon, New York. According to news outlet The Richest, his estimated net worth at the time of writing is $20 million. He studied acting at Stella Adler Conservatory, New York City and made his movie debut in 1988. He had a brief appearance in Martin Scorsese's 1990 directorial film, Goodfellas.
He is best known for starring in the crime-drama series, The Sopranos, which bagged him an Emmy Award in 2004 in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category.
Imperioli's comments about the Supreme Court's latest ruling come after the federal judiciary ruled 6-3 siding with Colorado designer Lorie Smith. The court's decision allows Smith the right to refuse to design websites for same-sex weddings.
This is despite the validity of a Colorado law that explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender, and other protected characteristics.
In a compelling argument, the justices contended that the act of compelling her to create the websites would deem a clear violation of her First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
Justice Sonia Sotomayer penned the court's dissent and was joined by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Justice Elena Kagan.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Sotomayor wrote:
“Today, the Court, for the first time in its history, grants a business open to the public a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of a protected class. The LGBT rights movement has made historic strides, and I am proud of the role this Court has recently played in that history. Today, however, we are taking steps backward. … Today is a sad day in American constitutional law and in the lives of LGBT people.”
The judgment is a severe blow to LGBTQ rights, which have been boosted in recent years by historic rulings by the nation's top court, and has alarmed opponents who worry the current court could reverse the 2015 marriage case.
On a separate note, Michael Imperioli will next star in Mac Winkler's drama-romance film, Last Days of Basic Cable.
