Christian Baker Forced To Make Cake For Gay Couples – Update
Baker Jack Phillips was ordered by a judge last year to make cake for gay couples, which Phillips had refused to do because of his religious beliefs. Last month he filed an appeal.
The decision by the judge was reinforced by the Civil Rights Commission of Colorado – Phillips must now submit quarterly reports for two years to show how he’s changed his “discriminatory practices.”
“Any person doing business in Colorado has to recognize that they have to do business in an ethical and law abiding way and the law says you cannot discriminate,” stated Raju Jairam, vice chairman of the commission.
And what of our First Amendment law that says Phillips has free-speech rights and free-exercise rights?
The ACLU is involved in the case against Phillips: “We at the ACLU very much support religious freedom, but religious freedom doesn’t mean that somebody who has a business has the right to discriminate against members of the public who want to patronize the business,” stated Mark Silverstein from the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado.
Where do you stand with the 1st Amendment rights of an individual as it might conflict with the discrimination of others?
Nearly two years after a same-sex couple was refused service at a Colorado cake shop, a civil rights panel on Friday deemed the act discrimination and ordered the owner to halt the practice.
The state’s seven-member Civil Rights Commission reinforced a December ruling from an administrative law judge who said Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips discriminated against Charlie Craig and David Mullins when he refused to make them a wedding cake because of religious objections.
In its decision, the panel required Phillips to submit quarterly reports for two years that show how he has worked to change discriminatory practices by altering company policies and training employees. Phillips also must disclose the names of any clients who are turned away.
“Any person doing business in Colorado has to recognize that they have to do business in an ethical and law abiding way and the law says you cannot discriminate,” said Raju Jairam, vice chairman of the commission.
Craig and Mullins filed charges of discrimination with the state’s Civil Rights Commission in July 2012 after they were turned away by the Lakewood baker while trying to buy a cake for a wedding reception.
Colorado law bans discrimination in a public place on grounds of sexual orientation, but Phillips has argued that forcing him to make wedding cakes for same-sex couples violates his right to First Amendment free-speech and freedom-of-religion rights.
Phillips and his attorney are considering an appeal to the Colorado Court of Appeals. He suggested on Friday that the rights of business owners with similar views were taken away by the commission.
Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cake in Lakewood, decorates a birthday cake Thursday, January 3, 2012. (Lindsay Pierce, Denver Post file photo)
“Not all of life is fair,” Phillips said said after the commission’s decision. “I will stand by my convictions until somebody shuts me down.”
Craig and Mullins said the panel’s decision validated everything they had been feeling. The couple said they have been inundated with support from people across the country since their story became public.
“When it came time to file the lawsuit we realized that this wasn’t just about us and they weren’t just supporting us as individuals,” Mullins said. “They were supporting the idea that gays shouldn’t be discriminated against in public accommodations. We felt like the best way we could honor what they had done for us was to follow this through. It hasn’t always been the easy road, but I believe we’ve been on the right one.”
In his December ruling, administrative law judge Robert N. Spencer said offering the same services to gay couples as it would heterosexual couples did not violate the cake shop owner’s right to free speech or prevent him from exercising his religion.
The judge ordered the cake shop owner to “cease and desist” from discriminating against same-sex couples. He said the fact that Colorado does not recognize same-sex marriage does not excuse discrimination based on sexual orientation. Colorado allows civil unions.
“At first blush, it may seem reasonable that a private business should be able to refuse service to anyone it chooses,” the judge 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.”
Spencer said the cake shop owner’s argument “would allow a business that served all races to nonetheless refuse to serve an interracial couple because of the business owner’s bias against interracial marriage.”
The conservative Christian organization Alliance Defending Freedom appealed the ruling in January by arguing that the government was “attempting to force Jack to violate his sincerely held religious beliefs and to compel him to speak a message that is contrary to his actual beliefs.”
Nicolle Martin, attorney for Masterpiece Cakeshop, called the ruling disappointing.
Hate to inform the ACLU, but the 1st A trumps any gay couples obligatory right to feel good about their life style. The 1st A is supreme law of the land.
What I see happening in this case and the few other select cases in America — Homosexuals continue to impose their will on those that do not agree with their lifestyle. To do so, they get the government involved and then it becomes a matter of law. Sadly, it doesn’t matter that the law is WITH PREJUDICE against those that choose not to accept or embrace the lifestyle being forced on them. And even sadder is the fact that, under the constitution of the US, prejudice against “anyone” (straight or homosexual) is NOT balanced. Its being decided on the “whim” or feeling of a few. Its very easy to see that some of the courts and various forms of government today have been brainwashed into thinking that this kind of enforcement is actually just and true. Its sad to see this taking place in our country and a few (very few) voices have more to say about it than the majority of those that believe differently. Homosexuals are humans just like everyone else but what it doesn’t give them is the right to force their agenda on people that do not want to be a part of it.
this is really getting sick. this gov has gone to far. those ragheads can make us do $#%&!@* we dont like cause it offends them now a judge is making a christian man bake cakes for gays. sure hope when the end comes it forgets a couple of people, yes i know i could get left behide cause i said it
That’s right, Dennis. Anything can be added, as an ingredient, by an upset baker just like things can be added to food by Burger King employees. The militant gays should re-think their stance on forcing others to do what those others do not want to do. http://rense.com/general44/urinated.htm
One question…… Is he the ONLY cake baker in the city?? He is forced to break his religious beliefs to not discriminate towards others. Just sounds like the cake could have been baked else-wear and everyone would have been happy!!
What is wrong here is the court forcing the cake maker to make cakes against their First Amendment rights. It is wrong for the same sex couple and the court to act like Nazi’s. The cake maker has the right to refuse service. Since when did same sex become a class of people.
But if the cake wasn’t up to the usual standard who is to say it is or isn’t?
Hate to inform the ACLU, but the 1st A trumps any gay couples obligatory right to feel good about their life style. The 1st A is supreme law of the land.
They are getting to be control freeks and have toooooo much say in things.
What I see happening in this case and the few other select cases in America — Homosexuals continue to impose their will on those that do not agree with their lifestyle. To do so, they get the government involved and then it becomes a matter of law. Sadly, it doesn’t matter that the law is WITH PREJUDICE against those that choose not to accept or embrace the lifestyle being forced on them. And even sadder is the fact that, under the constitution of the US, prejudice against “anyone” (straight or homosexual) is NOT balanced. Its being decided on the “whim” or feeling of a few. Its very easy to see that some of the courts and various forms of government today have been brainwashed into thinking that this kind of enforcement is actually just and true. Its sad to see this taking place in our country and a few (very few) voices have more to say about it than the majority of those that believe differently. Homosexuals are humans just like everyone else but what it doesn’t give them is the right to force their agenda on people that do not want to be a part of it.
this is really getting sick. this gov has gone to far. those ragheads can make us do $#%&!@* we dont like cause it offends them now a judge is making a christian man bake cakes for gays. sure hope when the end comes it forgets a couple of people, yes i know i could get left behide cause i said it
That’s right, Dennis. Anything can be added, as an ingredient, by an upset baker just like things can be added to food by Burger King employees. The militant gays should re-think their stance on forcing others to do what those others do not want to do. http://rense.com/general44/urinated.htm
One question…… Is he the ONLY cake baker in the city?? He is forced to break his religious beliefs to not discriminate towards others. Just sounds like the cake could have been baked else-wear and everyone would have been happy!!
How do you make a h**o cake Judge ?
If his store posted we reserve the right to refuse service. Than no one can make the owner do anything!
What is wrong here is the court forcing the cake maker to make cakes against their First Amendment rights. It is wrong for the same sex couple and the court to act like Nazi’s. The cake maker has the right to refuse service. Since when did same sex become a class of people.