Bakery that refused to bake cake with gay slogan loses North Ireland case

[TexasTowelie]

Photo: Reuters

Everyone loves Bert and Ernie, right? So what could be controversial about going to a bakery and ordering up a Bert and Ernie cake?

Well, plenty, if the cake is supposed to bear — in addition to the depictions of the two “Sesame Street” characters — the inscription “Support Gay Marriage.”

That is the kind of cake that gay rights activist Gareth Lee ordered in greater Belfast, Northern Ireland, in May 2014 for a function marking the International Day Against Homophobia.

But Lee ordered the cake from the Christian-owned Ashers Baking Co., which refused on the grounds that baking it would conflict with the religious beliefs of the bakery’s owners.

Read more: http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2015/05/bakery-that-refused-to-bake-cake-with-gay-slogan-loses-n-ireland-case/

[Omaha Steve]

1. Judge: ‘Business for profit’ is not religious group

Lee, offended, sued.

And on Tuesday, Ashers was found guilty in Belfast County Court of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. The judge said Ashers was a “business for profit” and not a religious group and, while the owners had “genuine, deeply held religious views,” they were not above the law.

Lee had testified that being refused service “left him feeling like a lesser person.” The court awarded him £500 ($775) in damages.

K&R!

[TexasTowelie]

2. That will buy one heck of a wedding cake!

Time for another GoFundMe campaign on Facebook though. :sigh: