Gay cake case

[polksaladallie]

Ashers Bakery lose 'gay cake' case: 'We will not be closing down, we have not done anything wrong' says boss Ashers bakery "unlawfully discriminated on the grounds of sexual orientation"

A Christian-run bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan has been found guilty of discrimination after a landmark legal action at Belfast County Court.

The family-run bakery, which delivers across the UK and Ireland, turned down the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/ashers-bakery-lose-gay-cake-case-we-will-not...

[springyzone]

One thing I have noticed is that on ebay, sellers can block a buyer-any buyer- from bidding or buying their items. They don't have to give a reason and do not have to have dealt with that buyer at all in the past.

I wouldn't have known that except I often read the seller's messageboard and sellers block buyers for a number of reasons. It might be that the buyer has left a lot of negative ratings or comments or is somehow thought of as  potential trouble. Sometimes sellers just don't like what they see from other transactions or even on message threads.

I don't have a problem with any of that. But if it is okay on ebay to block anyone and no reason has to be given, then it seems to me that a Christian running a cake shop should not necessarily have to sell cake to anyone, on any terms, if they don't want to.

I understand the anti discrimination laws. I would think it was pretty crook, for example, if a gay or a black person walked into a store and was refused service simply because of who or what they are.

But that isn't what is happening here. No one is being refused service as such, I am sure this man could buy a cake. What the seller is saying is he does not wish to provide a cake with those graphics or words or get his staff to have to make one like that.

Turning it to ebay-how would people feel if they could be prosecuted for refusing to make changes to their item to fit in with the buyer's wishes? eg If you were eg a knitter and were asked to knit in an obscene logo to the front of a baby jumper, should  you have to comply?

I guess my feeling is people should be entitled to be served no matter what race, sexual persuasion etc, but the seller should have a right to decide what sort of products he/she is willing to provide.

[icyfroth]

Is Asher's bakery well known as being devout Christians and as such would be expected to be against gay marriage?

If so, why would the gay lobby deliberately order a cake from this particular bakery, of all bakeries in Ireland?

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

So, you're implying that Christian business are anti gay marriage?

[cherry*135]

Why shouldn't they? Shops that are open to the public should not be discriminating against gay persons, or any other group of people.

[digupatin]

 The world has gone mad.  

  

I get the feeling this may have been a test case by the gay lobby.

I'm neither for or against - however if a store doesn't have the right to sell or supply what they want to anymore, if it goes against their beliefs, it's ridiculous.

Next will we have complaints against Jewish delis for refusing to sell Pork or non Kosher food or against Muslim food stores for refusing to supply non hal al meat?

[j*oono]

Why didn't they just go to a different bakery?  Life is too short.

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

Jewish delis already serve non-kosher foods.........

however if a store doesn't have the right to sell or supply what they want to anymore, if it goes against their beliefs, it's ridiculous.

So, apparently you are in favor of housing authorities discriminating against potential renters, perhaps because they feel blacks or muslims are an affront to their religion...........

[bella_again]

I can't help but wonder if its a deliberate act though on behalf of the Gay lobby person to bait the business.  People know the services of shops before they go in them.  It is really quite simple if a shop doesn't on the basis of their organisational stance provide a service go elsewhere!  You could argue discrimination on a number of fronts across the board in various different sectors but who goes to court in an attempt to bankrupt a business and destroy their reputation.  To me that's just another whole level of nastiness its not about equality because they are not trying to achieve that under these circumstances. Oh and its def a bait this is a UK case not the case in the US?

 There are lots of cake shops that could have supplied that service and this person went there deliberately to further their agenda and cause trouble.  The world has gone bonkers  diqupatin.

[gleee58]

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@bella_again wrote:

I can't help but wonder if its a deliberate act though on behalf of the Gay lobby person to bait the business.  People know the services of shops before they go in them.  It is really quite simple if a shop doesn't on the basis of their organisational stance provide a service go elsewhere!  You could argue discrimination on a number of fronts across the board in various different sectors but who goes to court in an attempt to bankrupt a business and destroy their reputation.  To me that's just another whole level of nastiness its not about equality because they are not trying to achieve that under these circumstances. Oh and its def a bait this is a UK case not the case in the US?

 There are lots of cake shops that could have supplied that service and this person went there deliberately to further their agenda and cause trouble.  The world has gone bonkers  diqupatin.

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Or perhaps the store advertises that they will make cakes for any celebration and will write anything the buyer wishes.