Catholic preschools shut out of Colorado's state-funded programme over same-sex marriage beliefs take their fight to the US Supreme Court

St. Mary Catholic Parish and the Archdiocese of Denver told the justices that Colorado's anti-discrimination mandate forces them to choose between their faith and public funding, with the Trump administration backing the Catholic schools. The preschools argue that excluding them from the universal pre-K programme violates their First Amendment free-exercise rights, while Colorado insists any school taking public money must give every family an equal shot at enrolment. A ruling is expected by summer.

Parents enrolling at St. Mary must sign a statement committing to 'positive and supportive' attitudes toward Catholic teaching, including opposition to same-sex marriage.

The court has previously sided with religious schools excluded from public-aid schemes in Maine and Montana, giving the Denver archdiocese grounds for cautious optimism.

A win for the schools could erode a landmark 1990 decision — penned by Justice Antonin Scalia, a towering figure of judicial conservatism — holding that religious belief does not create exemptions from generally applicable laws.