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[CrazyDude]

A Colorado baker who refused to make a cake for a gay couple has been given an ultimatum by a judge; serve gay weddings or face fines.

Administrative law judge Robert N. Spence found Friday that Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Denver, Colo. violated the law when he turned away David Mullins, 29, and Charlie Craig, 33, from his shop last year.

In his written decision, Spence ordered that Phillips "cease and desist from discriminating" against gay couples, or face financial penalties, and cited Colorado state law that prohibits businesses from refusing service based on race, sex, marital status or sexual orientation.

"At first blush, it may seem reasonable that a private business should be able to refuse service to anyone it chooses," Spence wrote. "This view, however, fails to take into account the cost to society and the hurt caused to persons who are denied service simply because of who they are."

Mullins and Craig married in Massachussets and had originally gone to Masterpiece in July 2012 because they wanted to a cake for their wedding reception in Colorado. When Phillips refused, the pair went to the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission (CCRC) on their behalf.

According to the complaint, Phillips told the couple that the store policy was to deny service to customers who wished to order baked goods for a same-sex wedding, based on his religious beliefs.

Phillips told the men, "I'll make you birthday cakes, shower cakes, sell you cookies and brownies, I just don't make cakes for same-sex weddings."

The judge's decision states in its Finding of Facts that Phillips believes creating same-sex wedding cakes would be "displeasing God and acting contrary to the teachings of the Bible."

In concluding that Masterpiece Cakeshop acted unlawfully, a CCRC investigation also showed evidence that Phillips was willing to bake a cake for the "marriage" of a pair of dogs, but not for two women.

"Being denied service by Masterpiece Cakeshop was offensive and dehumanizing especially in the midst of arranging what should be a joyful family celebration," Mullins said in statement. "No one should fear being turned away from a public business because of who they are. We are grateful to have the support of our community and our state, and we hope that today's decision will help ensure that no one else will experience this kind of discrimination again in Colorado."

Nicolle Martin, an attorney for Masterpiece Cakeshop, told The Associated Press that the judge's decision was "reprehensible" and "antithetical to everything America stands for."

"He can't violate his conscience in order to collect a paycheck," Martin said. "If Jack can't make wedding cakes, he can't continue to support his family. And in order to make wedding cakes, Jack must violate his belief system."

Phillips can appeal the judge's order, which is expected to be certified by the Civil Rights Commission next week. Martin said they are currently considering their next move.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-orders-colorado-bakery-cater-sex-weddings/story?id=21136505

 

[Forbin5]

If I was in a same sex deal, I wouldn't trust those dick bakers with my pastries.

 

[Count Dookkake]

Sweet.

 

[JDSN]

Freedom has died tonight.

Or something.

 

[King_Moc]

Awesome. Anything that pisses off right wingers is fine by me.

There was a story in the UK a while back about a hotel owner that wouldn't let gay couples stay there. They were told they couldn't discriminate and that it was either all couples or none. The reactions were great.

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

make sense

 

[Madness]

It's one thing being asked to go and photography a wedding if you don't believe in it, another to supply a cake.

I mean, you sell the cake, and then make your peace with God.

Though I wonder why the same-sex couple would even want someone so against their marriage to make their cake.

There's a local bakery here who make wonderful birthday cakes, and others. They're Iraqi Muslims. I wonder what they'd do if a same sex couple ever asked them to make a cake for them. I don't think they'd refuse even if they didn't believe in their marriage. You're running a business. No one's forcing you to accept it. Take their money, deliver the cake.

Though anyone so adamant against it from the start, they'd probably close down rather than be forced to do it.

 

[Fury Sense]

Surely the judgement must be based on the fact that his aversion is personal rather than contradictory to his business mission. If he were running a store that relied on very religious marketing, then serving the wrong customer could offend his main client base.

 

[CrazyDude]

It's one thing being asked to go and photography a wedding if you don't believe in it, another to supply a cake.

I mean, you sell the cake, and then make your peace with God.

Though I wonder why the same-sex couple would even want someone so against their marriage to make their cake.

There's a local bakery here who make wonderful birthday cakes, and others. They're Iraqi Muslims. I wonder what they'd do if a same sex couple ever asked them to make a cake for them. I don't think they'd refuse even if they didn't believe in their marriage. You're running a business. No one's forcing you to accept it. Take their money, deliver the cake.

Though anyone so adamant against it from the start, they'd probably close down rather than be forced to do it.

The cake must be really good.

 

[skybald]

I hope they just close down instead. You know, to uphold their principles and all.

 

[Alienous]

Wow, no "Let them eat cake" yet?

Ok, well, it's only food.

 

[davepoobond]

Weird. I wouldn't be surprised if this went up to the Supreme Court honestly.

 

[Stinkles]

People used to claim Christianity as a defense against serving "colored folk." I find it frightening that ordinary folk will side with that reasoning as it applies to gay people.

 

[richiek]

In concluding that Masterpiece Cakeshop acted unlawfully, a CCRC investigation also showed evidence that Phillips was willing to bake a cake for the "marriage" of a pair of dogs, but not for two women.

Burn.

 

[rocketknight]

People used to claim Christianity as a defense against serving "colored folk." I find it frightening that ordinary folk will side with that reasoning as it applies to gay people.

The judge made a comparison to interracial couples in the past as part of his decision.

 

[BertramCooper]

This does not bode well for my pie shop's strict "no negroes and spics" policy.

 

[Walshicus]

This does not bode well for my pie shop's strict "no negroes and spics" policy.

How do they feel about dogs and the Irish?

 

[empty vessel]

This is like the easiest decision in the world. The question was whether an agency of Colorado called Masterpiece Cakeshop, Inc. could refuse to abide by laws passed by the Colorado legislature.

 

[Aylinato]

How do they feel about dogs and the Irish?

Correct racist term for the Irish would be micks. Just so you know.

 

[NotBacon]

Awesome. Anything that pisses off right wingers bigots is fine by me.

There was a story in the UK a while back about a hotel owner that wouldn't let gay couples stay there. They were told they couldn't discriminate and that it was either all couples or none. The reactions were great.

FTFY

 

[commedieu]

Weird. I wouldn't be surprised if this went up to the Supreme Court honestly.

The Supreme court knows you can't discriminate on color/sex though. Its just the morons that don't understand this.

 

[Deleted member 325805]

Why would a gay couple want someone who is disgusted by them to make their wedding cake?

 

[Yaboosh]

I would think it would be a bad idea to actually eat a cake made by a shop that hates you and what you stand for.

 

[boiled goose]

Businesses and commerce are considered a 'public good', so you can't discriminate.

you can make a straight people only cake club, but then you wouldn't get all the same tax benefits, etc. from being a small business.

 

[odiin]

How do they feel about dogs and the Irish?

Dogs are welcome, but the Irish must be kept on a leash.

 

[Yagharek]

Why would a gay couple want someone who is disgusted by them to make their wedding cake?

Hopefully now they get inundated with orders and subsequent fines for refusing them.

 

[Log4Girlz]

People used to claim Christianity as a defense against serving "colored folk." I find it frightening that ordinary folk will side with that reasoning as it applies to gay people.

They should bake a pie with all the cherry picking they do with the bible.

 

[Valnen]

Surely the judgement must be based on the fact that his aversion is personal rather than contradictory to his business mission. If he were running a store that relied on very religious marketing, then serving the wrong customer could offend his main client base.

Doesn't matter, it's illegal to discriminate against people based on sexual orientation as a private business.

 

[commedieu]

Why would a gay couple want someone who is disgusted by them to make their wedding cake?

Thats not significant at all. Their reasoning has no bearing on bigots denying service to other citizens based on their relationship status.

You'd have to ask them to figure it out, but it will still have no real purpose in progressing equal rights forward.

it's illegal to discriminate against people based on sexual orientation as a private business.

its a shame how many times this is still being said in response to other people trying to figure out a way around it being illegal. No logic makes it legal, if you are denying service to someone based on their relationship status, its illegal. Pretty simple, whatever speculative situation folks have.. ask "Is the owner denying service to a citizen because of their relationship?" If yes, its illegal.

 

[IpsoFacto]

Apparentely there is only one bakery in the entire state of Colorado.

 

[Valnen]

Apparentely there is only one bakery in the entire state of Colorado.

Again, this doesn't give them a free pass to break the law.

 

[commedieu]

Apparentely there is only one bakery in the entire state of Colorado.

You can't discriminate against people. Its illegal. They are breaking a law, and citizens reserve the right to notify the authorities when it happens.

What would you have citizens whom are having their civil rights violated do?Honest question, and please answer it.

 

[IpsoFacto]

I never said I condoned the bakery's decision for doing it. And yes the couple in question has every right to press charges since they are the plaintiffs and the judge ruled in favor.

Though as far as the couple is concerned, why would still they want to do business with such a detestable bakery?

 

[boiled goose]

I never said I condoned the bakery's decision for doing it. And yes the couple in question has every right to press charges since they are the plaintiffs and the judge ruled in favor.

Though as far as the couple is concerned, why would still they want to do business with such a detestable bakery?

I don't think at this point they 'want to do business with the bakery', but I am sure they want to be able to exert the rights guaranteed to them by law.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

You can't open a public business and then discriminate. Why is this shit even up for debate?

Apparentely there is only one bakery in the entire state of Colorado.

So if you're being discriminated against you just shrug your shoulders and keep driving? Seriously? Fuck that. Nope. We're not going backwards as a society. That's how it used to be. Black couple driving, couldn't get into a hotel. Had to keep driving.

It's fucking amazing some people want to take us back to where people get discriminated against and just take it and keep going...

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Though as far as the couple is concerned, why would still they want to do business with such a detestable bakery?

They don't, no more than these people:

Really loved the ice cream at Woolsworth

 

[Mammoth Jones]

They don't, no more than these people:

Really loved the ice cream at Woolsworth

This.

 

[Toxi]

Why would a gay couple want someone who is disgusted by them to make their wedding cake?

Because they were probably referred to the bakery as "the best cakes around" or something.

"Well gosh, what if the bakery was run by homophobes?" is probably far down the list of things you're thinking about while organizing a wedding.

 

[Walshicus]

Correct racist term for the Irish would be micks. Just so you know.

Search for "No Irish, no blacks, no dogs" - sadly a part of English history.

 

[Wiktor]

Good. I can understand giving a religious institutioun a pass for some of the things they do, but regular people? Fuck that. You do business you do it like everybody else and obey the law.

Same with doctors refusing legal abortions or apothecary refusing to sell birth control pills.If you can't live with doing that you need to find yourself a different job.

 

[Hitokage]

They don't, no more than these people:

Really loved the ice cream at Woolsworth

What's especially sad is how the man running the counter is also black, but is made to not serve people equally because management is shit.

 

[davepoobond]

You can't open a public business and then discriminate. Why is this shit even up for debate?

so can you open a private business and then discriminate?

It's fucking amazing some people want to take us back to where people get discriminated against and just take it and keep going...

its called the free market!!!! or something

The Supreme court knows you can't discriminate on color/sex though. Its just the morons that don't understand this.

i'm sure there's some religious group which will take up their cause to push it up through the ranks.

 

[Flynn]

I mean, you sell the cake, and then make your peace with God.

Who is going to give them a stern lecture when the time comes.

 

[Log4Girlz]

I'm pretty sure god will send you to hell for all eternity for selling pastries to homosexuals. I'm pretty sure that's in the bible word for word.

 

[Foxy Fox 39]

I doubt God is going to be like "Yo you made a cake for this gay couple. Treating your neighbor like you'd want to be treated is a sin. To hell with you."

 

[Conor_Fool]

I would think it would be a bad idea to actually eat a cake made by a shop that hates you and what you stand for.

Wouldn't it be the icing on the cake (heh) if they got a felony food tampering charge.

 

[Devolution]

I doubt God is going to be like "Yo you made a cake for this gay couple. Treating your neighbor like you'd want to be treated is a sin. To hell with you."

I bet they make cake for the recently divorced too.

 

[watershed]

They don't, no more than these people:

Really loved the ice cream at Woolsworth

The fact that this needs to be said is really sad.

 

[BeFlatLine]

As much as I don't like the choice the business made, I don't feel they should be forced to do business with someone they don't want to. A business can deny me service for any reason. At which point, I'd suggest they respectfully go play in a fire while I take my business elsewhere. All while suggesting to friends / family / random strangers on the street that the original business is crap, and not to contribute to them.

Taking away any person's free choice is a crap shoot. If a customer came in being a complete tool, and I owned the business, I should be able to say "No. GTFO!". This could be for any other reason, because it's *my* business. If I choose to suffer the consequences of not having their business, that's my choice.

We're not talking governmental services. Obviously, if the police, fire, EMS, or whatever other necessity out there said no, there'd be issues. But we're talking a business that provides baked goods.

EDITTED TO ADD: As a side note, I've been denied service in the past because of my personal choice to carry a firearm for self defense reasons. That's the business's choice. I could pretend that I'm entitled to be served, but I'm not. Freedom of choice is a valuable thing. Other businesses have now received my business, along with my family's. Does it make me happy that my values were undermined by a business? Not at all. But if they don't want to serve me, I'll go elsewhere. Big deal.

 

[trineo_feo]

As much as I don't like the choice the business made, I don't feel they should be forced to do business with someone they don't want to. A business can deny me service for any reason. At which point, I'd suggest they respectfully go play in a fire while I take my business elsewhere. All while suggesting to friends / family / random strangers on the street that the original business is crap, and not to contribute to them.

Taking away any person's free choice is a crap shoot. If a customer came in being a complete tool, and I owned the business, I should be able to say "No. GTFO!". This could be for any other reason, because it's *my* business. If I choose to suffer the consequences of not having their business, that's my choice.

We're not talking governmental services. Obviously, if the police, fire, EMS, or whatever other necessity out there said no, there'd be issues. But we're talking a business that provides baked goods.

You really don't get it?