Same-Sex Wedding Cake

Bakery is appealing a $135,000 fine for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex wedding is now refusing to pay the fine. The owners of the bakery, Melissa and Aaron Klein, have said they are not going to pay the fine, even though they were court ordered to do so. They own a bakery called Sweet Cakes, and they cited their religious beliefs as the reason they were unable to serve the couple. Laurel and Rachel Bowman-Cryer, the couple whom the bakery refused to bake the cake for, then sued the bakery and were ultimately awarded $135,000 in damages.

Court’s Ruling

It was ruled that the bakery must pay the fine back in July, although the refusal was over two years ago. Bowman-Cryer walked into the bakery with her mother and asked to taste some cake samples so she could decide on a flavor for her upcoming wedding. They were then told by the owners of the bakery that they would not get a wedding cake from them because they do not serve same-sex couples. The couple felt discriminated against, and they were awarded the money as a result of emotional damages. In addition, the court issued a gag order, which prevented the bakery from speaking publicly about the case or about their refusal to serve same-sex couples by baking them wedding cakes.

The Kleins’ Appeal

The Kleins do not want to pay the fine, so they have appealed the ruling. They have cited financial hardship for the reason. While the bakery is a small business, and it would normally make sense that a bakery of that size would not be able to handle paying the fine, the bakery has raised over half a million dollars from those who support their bakery and their cause. The amount of money they owe to the couple would be more than covered, and they would have a significant amount of money to spare.

Oregon Law

Same-sex couples are protected by a law in Oregon that has been in effect since 2007.

• Potential customers cannot be discriminated against simply because they are gay, lesbian, transgender, or bisexual.
• The LGBT community is also protected from discrimination in housing or employment situations.
• While the law does not apply to religious organizations, private companies and businesses cannot discriminate because of personal religious beliefs.

Gay Rights vs. Religious Freedom

This is one of many cases currently discussing the balance between religious freedom and gay rights. Most of the cases have gone in favor of the gay couples seeking rights, but that doesn’t mean those seeking religious freedom have given up without a fight. There have been supporters on both sides of the spectrum, and the country has followed the cases closely to see how the courts rule. These cases are likely to determine how religious freedom and gay rights are handled in the future. Not only does this affect gay rights, but it also affects religious freedom in cases that have nothing to do with gay rights.

Obama on Religious Freedom

Obama has said that individual rights of gay people are more important than religious freedom. He feels that anytime a person claims religious freedom as a reason for not serving a gay couple, they are discriminating against that couple. The Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage should make people in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships equal; however, there have been many bumps in the road that have made it difficult for this to be the case.

Court’s Ruling

It is unlikely that the court’s ruling will be overturned. The Kleins will likely be forced to pay the fine or may be held in contempt of court. Not only do the courts feel they have discriminated against the couple and broken the law, they also know the business has more than enough money to pay the fine, thanks to their fundraising efforts.