Christian bakers who refused cake order for gay wedding forced to close shop

A husband-and-wife bakery shop team in Oregon were forced to close their shop doors and move to cheaper digs their home after gay-rights activists hounded them and drove away contract business because they refused for Christian reasons to bake for a same-sex wedding.

Aaron and Melissa Klein own and operate Sweet Cakes by Melissa. In the past few months, theyve faced heated scrutiny some in the form of physical threats from those in the gay-rights crowd who decried their May refusal to bake for a lesbian couple who wanted to marry.

The Kleins cited their Christian beliefs of traditional marriage when they turned down that business gig, The Blaze reported. But the lesbian couple filed a complaint with the state, accusing the shop owners of discrimination.

Since, theyve been hounded by vicious telephone calls and emails.

Some of those threats were shocking. One emailer wished for the couples children to fall ill. Another expressed hope that Mr. Klein should be shot and even raped, The Blaze reported.

And yet another wrote: Heres hoping you go out of business, you bigot.

The couple said on top of that, their vendors were badgered and harassed into stopping all associations with the bakery.

The Kleins say theyre now closing up their doors and moving their operations to their home. Their business, they say, has suffered a serious revenue hit from the unexpected activism and backlash.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/2/christian-bakers-who-refused-cake-order-gay-weddin/

Pretty shitty situation for all but damn, should have just baked the cake. Free market at work etc etc.

That's fvcked up. Of course the discrimination was unjustified and reprehensible, but that kind of response is disproportionate and completely uncalled for.ghoklebutter

.

That's fvcked up. Of course the discrimination was unjustified and reprehensible, but that kind of response is disproportionate and completely uncalled for.ghoklebutter

Hypocritical ''progressives'' at their finest.

I'm all for gay rights and stuff... so I am conflicted. Denying a Lesbian wedding cake is mean. Also stupid because you're denying $. But on the other hand, you totally can refuse any business from anyone who walks in the store. It's your store. I feel badly for them because this got so out of hand... but I also am kind of happy? 

Yeah I'm not going to stand with the actions of those who helped drive them out of business. While that business shouldn't have been discriminatory in the first place (not to mention you don't turn away business when you run a business), hounding those people until they no longer have a business is absolutely not the way to go.

I'm all for gay rights and stuff... so I am conflicted. Denying a Lesbian wedding cake is mean. Also stupid because you're denying $. But on the other hand, you totally can refuse any business from anyone who walks in the store. It's your store. I feel badly for them because this got so out of hand... but I also am kind of happy? 

Shmiity

nope, not one bit to be honest.

But on the other hand, you totally can refuse any business from anyone who walks in the store.

Shmiity

Edit: No idea about Oregon state law but since that state is pretty liberal there's probably something there that covers same-sex couples.

When you go into business you sometimes have to ask yourself if your beliefs are strong enough to screw with your bottom line. That couple seems to have learned that the hard way. Even a big company like Chick-Fil-A is probably losing business for the beliefs of their management even though they aren't denying service outright to people with alternative lifestyles like the couple did.ad1x2

[QUOTE="Shmiity"]

But on the other hand, you totally can refuse any business from anyone who walks in the store.

Aljosa23

I mean, sure. If you publically say: "It was a gay cake, so we wont serve them" you would be absolutely screwed. That's why I said, the hate against them isn't really surprising (and I personally think they deserve a little). But the public drove them out of business... and really went overboard. I am not really condoning the behavior of the public... but when you make stupid anti-gay sentiments, you're going to get destroyed.

closing up shop for refusing ONE couple is totally uncalled for, doesnt everybody have the right to say no over there?

why are the gay crowd learning from the conservative right?Lonelynight

Just looked it up:

http://www.oregon.gov/boli/CRD/pages/c_crprotoc.aspx

State Discrimination Law
In order to be protected by Oregon´s discrimination laws, employees must be employed by a company with at least one or more employees, except where noted. Protected classes include:
Race / color
National origin
Sex (includes gender, pregnancy and sexual harassment)
Sexual orientation
Religion
Retaliation for opposing an unlawful employment practice
Association with a member of a protected class
Age (18 or older)
Marital status
Physical/Mental disability (6 or more employees)
Injured workers (6 or more employees)
Family relationship.

Pretty shitty situation for all but damn, should have just baked the cake. Free market at work etc etc.Aljosa23

Ridiculous. Not to the bakers, they're fine, but the state for closing them. They SHOULD have the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason they f!cking want. Its their own store, they shouldn't have to be told who to give their business to.

That seems like a pretty disproportionate response to the entire situation :|

The threats were obviously uncalled for. I don't have any sympathy for them closing though. HoolaHoopMan

Gone out of business huh? Maybe they should have thought through turning down money a little more.

Having your own beliefs is well and good, and everyone in America is entitled to freedom of speech and expression, but before they opened up a store and went into business they should have looked up the definition of the phrase "word of mouth". No matter what you believe it makes no business sense to piss off an entire demographic of potential customers.

Bottom line, they got what they deserved and have no one to blame but themselves.

P.S. The fact that the LGBT community severely overreacted and whatever defense the cake shop thought up are both irrelevant, because this probably would have happened even if there was no discrimination claim or any of that jazz.

They SHOULD have the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason they f!cking want. Its their own store, they shouldn't have to be told who to give their business to.

Wolfetan

Ridiculous. Not to the bakers, they're fine, but the state for closing them. They SHOULD have the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason they f!cking want. Its their own store, they shouldn't have to be told who to give their business to.

Wolfetan

[QUOTE="HoolaHoopMan"]The threats were obviously uncalled for. I don't have any sympathy for them closing though. Allicrombie

Much more concise sentence of what I was trying to say. 

[QUOTE="Wolfetan"]

They SHOULD have the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason they f!cking want. Its their own store, they shouldn't have to be told who to give their business to.

Aljosa23

What about those "We have the right to refuse service to anyone" signs? Are they not legal? Capitan_Kid

I don't even understand the mindset that these people have. Why would you refuse someone that wants to give you money? smh

[QUOTE="Wolfetan"]

Ridiculous. Not to the bakers, they're fine, but the state for closing them. They SHOULD have the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason they f!cking want. Its their own store, they shouldn't have to be told who to give their business to.

EagleEyedOne

Wow, that's pathetic, and I'm not talking about the christian bakers either, though that doesn't mean I agree with their views.

Honestly, just move on and find some one who will provide the service. It's the bakers profit loss anyway. No need to continue hounding on them for their beliefs. They own the business, they can refuse service to anyone they want.

freedom of speech, bitch? well that's goneAckad

No, it's still very much intact. But your actions still have consequences. Sure, you can't get arrested for it, but you need to be ready for the "freedom of speech" responses you receive in return

I support the right of the business to refuse service on grounds of their beliefs.  I support groups drawing attention to and advocating boycotts based on those beliefs.  Obviously, I do not support the expressed threat of physical violence against the business/couple.  The issue of the vendors seems more of a PR decision more than anything else.

My guess is that closing the business has more to do with loss of profitability form the negative PR instead of fear from the threats. 

[QUOTE="EagleEyedOne"][QUOTE="Wolfetan"]

Ridiculous. Not to the bakers, they're fine, but the state for closing them. They SHOULD have the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason they f!cking want. Its their own store, they shouldn't have to be told who to give their business to.

MrGeezer

If they knew what was good for them they should have just kept their stupid mouth shut.

[QUOTE="Aljosa23"]Pretty shitty situation for all but damn, should have just baked the cake. Free market at work etc etc.MrGeezer

Absolutely THIS!

If anything, the idea that they would refuse business for such a petty thing makes me think they weren't the greatest business people around...

It's rare to see a story where homofobes are actually the better and more respectable side of the conflict.

[QUOTE="MrGeezer"][QUOTE="Aljosa23"]Pretty shitty situation for all but damn, should have just baked the cake. Free market at work etc etc.LostProphetFLCL

Absolutely THIS!

If anything, the idea that they would refuse business for such a petty thing makes me think they weren't the greatest business people around...

The threats were unnecesary.  

[QUOTE="Person0"]If you own a business don't be terrible people and discriminate. Also lol at blaze/washingtontimes sourcesEagleEyedOne

This situation really is a dilemma. On one hand, you should be able to refuse service to whoever you want. But it's 2013. If you have any anti-gay sentiments, I just don't feel bad for you. I think you're a backwards ass hat. Should people be sending death threats? Of course not. But if you make a public anti-gay statement, forget about your business. Your business is now associated with discrimination. You're absolutely f*cked. (and a part of me is glad people hated on them).

[QUOTE="Person0"][QUOTE="EagleEyedOne"] It is a private mom/pop business. They can discriminate who they want. If you don't like it then don't buy their products. One does not have to start a social riot via social media and send death threats to the owner because of it.EagleEyedOne

Pretty damn dumb. The activists who issued such threats should be ashamed.