303 Creative as "fake case" (Updated)

I have never understood the "fake case" criticism of 303 Creative. The fact that Smith had never designed a wedding site or been asked to do so and the supposed fake email request from a same-sex couple struck me as red herrings.

In attempting to write (without success, thus far) on the case, I looked at the lower-court orders. The district court denied standing because Smith could not show that any couple, much less a same-sex couple, would seek her services (this is where the notorious email comes in). The court of appeals reversed, relying on Susan B. Anthony List, the controlling case on pre-enforcement First Amendment challenges that the district court did not cite. SBA adopts a forgiving approach, at least in First Amendment cases--plaintiff must show "an intention to engage in a course of conduct arguably affected with a constitutional interest, but proscribed by a statute, and there exists a credible threat of prosecution thereunder." Smith satisfied the first prong because "[a]lthough Appellants have not yet offered wedding website services, Ms. Smith has been employed as a graphic and web designer in the past. Appellants have also provided clear examples of the types of websites they intend to provide, as well as the intended changes to 303 Creative's webpage." The court would not assume that, if Smith offered the intended wedding-site services, no customer would request her services or that only opposite-sex couples and no same-sex couples would do so. To require the latter proof would eliminate pre-enforcement challenges, requiring rights-holders to violate the law and create active enforcement situations. That all seems right to me.

Standing's ideological drift increases daily--the left wants to ratchet it up and the right wants to swing open the federal courthouse doors. But imagine A wants to open a drag club in Tennessee--she has not begun business, but has run clubs in the past and lays out her business plan for the club. I imagine critics of 303 who support LGBT+ rights would want that business owner to be able to file a pre-enforcement action and not be forced to open the business, put on a show, and have some unknown customer complain.

Update: As if on queue , Richard Re has an essay (forthcoming in Notre Dame Law Review Reflections) showing why the criticisms are wrong, if one accepts pre-enforcement litigation, and how the case indicates an ideological realignment on standing.