Even though this is "cake-related", I wasn't sure where to post, so I thought I would start here...

In case you haven’t heard of this travesty yet in your little corner of the world:

http://www.windstream.net/news/read/category/Top%20News/article/the_associated_press-baker_faces_complaint_for_refusing_antigay_message-ap

I’m sure Marjorie Silva, owner of Azucar Bakery – https://www.facebook.com/AzucarBakery would love if you stopped by her Facebook page and offered her some words of encouragement.

AI'm brand new on this forum, and it saddens me that my first post is in regards to such a travesty. Thanks to the OP for letting" us " know.

AKudos to Marjorie for standing her ground!

How awful! This makes me very sad!! Even if personally she was okay with making the cake, how would her business fare? She could potentially isolate a lot of her market by fulfilling the order. I hope all ends well and that her spirit isn't forever deflated. 

I wonder what I'm up against because my religious beliefs clash sometimes with design concepts. 

In order to sue for discrimination, people must belong to a protected group. Is "anti-gay" a protected group?

I don't think she is "anti-gay", she is just opposed to recognizing the union of 2 same gender individuals as a "marriage".  In some religions, a "marriage" is a covenant with God between a man and a woman, so her opposition isn't to them being gay as much as it is to their intent to make make a mockery of a ceremony she believes to be a contract with God. She would most likely be happy to bake them a birthday cake, but a wedding cake means a lot more.  I bet she would also refuse to bake a wedding cake for a woman having a civil service to marry herself (yep, it really happened last week).  She would also probably refuse to bake a cake for a porn movie premier where all the participants were hetero***uals.  It's about her right to refuse to use her artistic talents when and where she chooses based on her religious beliefs.

IMHO, the problem is how the law is being used to overrule the right to live your life according to your religious beliefs.

She should a right to say yes or no to whom she pleases!!! I feel so sorry for her religious rights being violated. My prayers go with her and her family!!!

PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE....  It was not her bakery that was refusing to make the wedding cake for the gay couple (that was a whole separate case earlier in the year with a different bakery in Denver).  She was refusing to put a "hateful anti-gay message on a cake" that was requested by a customer, which I totally stand behind refusing to do that.  No one should be required to promote hate and discrimination for any reason!

Oh, I support her after reading what Alisa555 said! And any of you who won't make wedding cakes for gay couples -  send them over to me! I love making cakes for my gay friends! 

Nancy 

 Awesome :)

What Conditions Allow a Restaurant to Refuse Service?

 There a number of legitimate reasons for a restaurant to refuse service, some of which include:

• Patrons who are unreasonably rowdy or causing trouble
• Patrons that may overfill capacity if let in
• Patrons who come in just before closing time or when the kitchen is closed
• Patrons accompanied by large groups of non-customers looking to sit in
• Patrons lacking adequate hygiene (e.g. excess dirt, extreme body odor, etc.)

In most cases, refusal of service is warranted where a customer’s presence in the restaurant detracts from the safety, welfare, and well-being of other patrons and the restaurant itself.

His action's would be considered trouble.......Or his bill!  Or a simple statement sating that she does not want her business associated in that way

 I realize I am late reading about this and posting a reply, but I am curious. What sort of trouble is the business owner for refusing to spread hate; or refusing an order? Are we talking about some sort of legislation permitting her business to be fined? 

The customer has filed a complaint claiming that his rights were being discriminated against because the baker would not complete the order as he wanted it to be done based on his "creed".  

Personally, I think it is just somebody trying to create a media show because the Colorado legislation is considering changing the law to prevent local businesses from refusing service to gay customers. 

I don't understand how anyone, including a business owner, can be penalized for refusing to provide a service or product that they do not offer or is not part of his/her regular business. Where is the line drawn? If this man who is complaining succeeds in his complaint, then the government is saying that anyone can bully/force a business owner into providing something that violates the business owner's rights, beliefs, values and, ultimately, freedom. This angers me. 

I do not agree with discrimination on any level as far as not providing service to someone because of their sexual orientation... That whole issue reminds me of 1950's mindset of segregation/discrimination for skin color (just a different reason to discriminate).   I get that some people do not support that lifestyle for many reasons, but we are all humans. 

In the case referred to in this particular article, the baker did agree to make the cake (she was not refusing service at all), she just refused to put the hate message on it.  I don't think that was unreasonable at all.  

I agree with you, I do think if a judge finds in favor of this issue of violating this guys civil rights for refusing putting a hate message on a cake, where does it end? 

And had she make the offensive cake, could she have been sued for a hate crime? If the judge has any sense, he/she will cite the guy with an attempted hate crime. How ridiculous this whole thing is!

Indiana going thru a HUGE controversy right now with the Religious Freedom Act, which was signed just last Thursday.  If you haven't heard of any of it, then you must be too busy with cakes to watch TV at all.  It's crazy here.

Thank you for posting that info indydebi - I had not heard about that.  The fact that any state in our country could pass a law that allows religious beliefs to take precedence over human rights absolutely sickens me!  These are human beings we are talking about, human beings with feelings.... to treat them animals, potentially not allowing them to be served in public establishments is disgusting.  I really don't get it:(

This baker refused to write an anti-gay message on the cake.

She did not refuse to make a cake for a gay couple - in fact just the opposite.  She refused to make a cake for a customer who was anti-gay.

The political scene in Indiana is blowing up right now, largely because the Indiana RFRA law is actually quite different from the federal RFRA law.  Indiana's law is much broader.  I'm happy to have that conversation, but only if asked.

I understand that the baker was not refusing to make the cake and completely support her position on that issue.    I actually live in Colorado, so I have seen all of the publicity on the subject in the local news.  I was commenting on the issue that indydebi had posted today.  I understand that it is a different issue, but all tied together

It is VERY bad business to discriminate. This pizzeria in Indiana publicly stated they wouldn't serve pizzas at a gay couple's wedding - and are now whining at the results. Check out their Yelp page:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/memories-pizza-walkerton

I think there is an important distinction to be made between discriminating against a person, and refusing to participate in an event against which you have religious convictions.

Yes, and when one decides business decisions based on biblical texts, be prepared for the substantial blowback your business is going to get and be willing to pay the price, and not whine about it, like the Indiana pizzeria owners are doing. Boo hoo, they are whining, people are being mean to us.  Because many people see what they said as ignorance, hate and bigotry, especially when other biblical maxims, such as divorce and remarriage being immoral, are cheerfully ignored by business people.

I'm not judging people's beliefs, I'm just saying that when you judge and make business decision based on your own moral beliefs, there will be blowback. 

Me, I'll happily make a cake for anyone except someone spouting hate, and will willingly take the  gay couples others refuse!!!!

I've been toying with the idea of getting back into the wedding biz, but ONLY making cakes for LGBT weddings.  

Leah, I think if you did this and advertised this, you would have more business than you could handle. 

I bet you are right Nancylee61 :)

We do lots of LGBT weddings, and lots of christenings/birthday cakes for kids with LGBT parents. We've never advertised in that circle, but I guess we did a couple of cakes and word spread that we just don't care who you marry. Love is love.

On the other hand, I refused to make a cake in the shape of a swastika once. I was like, seriously? You're a redneck a-hole git and you come into my shop, with a mezuzah by the door, me standing behind the counter wearing a Magen David, and you want to order a swastika cake? 

Jedi,

I agree - I would NEVER make a cake that promotes hate. Making a cake for a group with whom I disagree is different, in my view, than making a cake promoting hate. Like, I don't agree with how some very traditional religions treat their women, making them walk behind them and covering themselves up for example, but I would never not bake for them!! That is their belief system. I would not, however, make a cake celebrating the KKK. 

Off subject a bit but the history teacher is coming out in me.  In Richmond, Indiana (my hometown) there used to be a music recording studio, Gennett Recording.  It was one of the very few studios that would sell studio time and allow black musicians to record.  Black musicians came from all over the country to record there, including famous names like Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong.  Ironically, this same studio also made records for the KKK.  As the story goes, "The only color the owners were interested in was the color Green!"  Sharing the story just to show a business can work both sides of the street.