Gay cake row bakery now refusing to make ANY wedding cakes
By Will Stroude
The Belfast bakery that was ruled to have discriminated against a gay customer has announced that it will not make wedding or special-order cakes of any kind following last week’s judgement (May 19).
Ashers Bakery Company say they will limit their range of celebration cakes to birthdays and babies following the ruling, in which District Judge Isobel Brownlie decided that the bakery had unlawfully discriminated on the grounds of sexual orientation by refusing to make a pro-gay marriage cake ordered by gay man Gareth Lee.
Three days after the verdict, The Belfast Telegraph placed an order with the bakery for a identical cake to the one that prompted the dispute.
On hearing the description of the cake during the order, an Ashers employee said: “Oh please, we don’t have time for this”, before hanging up the phone.
The paper later received a statement from the bakery that said they would no longer make wedding and special-order cakes.
“Due to the recent legal developments we have decided to limit our celebration cake range to birthday cakes and baby-related celebration cakes only while we consider our policy,” they said.
“Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Later that day, the Christian Institute issued a general press release announcing the change in policy, saying: “Ashers Baking Company has decided to limit the scope of its Build A Cake department while the owners review this aspect of their business and take further advice from lawyers.”
During the ruling, the judge said the while the McArthurs hold “genuine deeply held religious beliefs” government regulations “protect people from having their sexual orientation used for having their business turned down.” She went on to say that “The defendants are not a religious organisation. They conduct a business for profit. There are no exceptions available.”
She added: “This is direct discrimination for which there is no justification.”
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