Bakers face $135,000 fine for refusing to make cake for gay wedding

[thejazz97]

The owners of an Oregon bakery learned Friday that there is a severe price to pay for following their Christian faith.

A judge for the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) recommended a lesbian couple should receive $135,000 in damages for their emotional suffering after Sweet Cakes by Melissa refused to make them a wedding cake.

As a result - Aaron and Melissa Klein could lose everything they own — including their home.

The Oregonian reports the recommended penalty is not final and could be raised or lowered by State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian.

The controversy started in 2013 when Aaron Klein declined to provide a cake for a lesbian wedding. Later that year, the women filed a complaint against Klein and his wife, Melissa.

"The facts of this case clearly demonstrate that the Kleins unlawfully discriminated against the Complainants,” read a statement by the BOLI to the Oregonian. “Under Oregon law, businesses cannot discriminate or refuse service based on sexual orientation, just as they cannot turn customers away because of race, sex, disability, age or religion. Our agency is committed to fair and thorough enforcement of Oregon civil rights laws, including the Equality Act of 2007."

Within hours of the ruling, the Family Research Council facilitated the establishment of a GoFundMe account to help the Kleins raise the money the need. In less than eight hours, more than $100,000 was raised.

However, late Friday GoFundMe pulled the plug — sending this message to would-be donors:

“After careful review by our team, we have found the ‘Support Sweet Cakes By Melissa’ campaign to be in violation of our Terms and Conditions,” the message read. “The money raised thus far will still be made available for withdrawal.”

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins blasted the harsh penalty levied against the Kleins.

“The state of Oregon has given a new meaning to shotgun weddings,” Perkins said. “You will be forced to participate in same-sex weddings and violate your beliefs.”

Perkins wondered what impact the Oregon ruling would have on religious freedom across the country.

“If Americans are not free to decline to be involved in a specific activity that violates their beliefs, then we are not free,” he said.

It’s not exactly clear what led GoFundMe to drop the fundraising drive - but Perkins blamed it on gay activists.

“This reveals two very important aspects of the redefinition of marriage, Americans are not going along with it and two - the intolerance of those trying to redefine marriage is historically unprecedented,” Perkins said.

Samaritan's Purse a Christian ministry run by Franklin Graham, has stepped up and offered to raise funds for the embattled Christian couple. The website can be found here.

Aaron Klein told me they will appeal the judge’s recommended fine.

“All Americans should be free to live and work by their faith without the fear of the government punishing them,” he told me.

Klein told me the gay rights activists won’t be satisfied until her family is living in a homeless shelter.

“This is not coming out of our business assets - the business has already been shuttered,” he said. “This is coming out of personal property. They want to take our house. They want to put us out on the street.”

Melissa told me the state of Oregon is trying to send a message to Christian business owners.

“They are trying to say — look what will happen to you if you decide to live by your faith,” she said. “They won’t be satisfied until we lose everything.”

The Kleins said they were incredibly moved by the generosity of their supporters.

And while they were disappointed that GoFundMe removed the campaign - they are not upset.

“If GoFundMe does not believe in our cause or what we are doing — that’s their right,” Aaron told me. “And that’s what we are fighting for. We should have that right, too. If it goes against our faith or beliefs we should be able to say we won’t do that.”

The Kleins also had kind words for Franklin Graham. They talked by telephone on Friday.

“A while ago Franklin told me that if I needed anything to give him a call,” Aaron said. “So I called him after the verdict. He said to not get discouraged — that God is good.”

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/04/26/bakers-must-pay-135000-for-refusing-to-make-cake-for-gay-wedding/

[Fateless]

I support letting people make their own choices. That includes the Baker's right to bake for who they want. Pretty disgusting that this lesbian couple are starting out their marriage by ruining another person's life.

[babych]

I'm torn on this issue.

On one hand I can't back any business that discriminates based on religion, culture, sexuality, etc.

On the other hand, shouldn't business owners have the right to choose their clientele?

[Niloc009]

I'm 100% for gay marriage and gay rights, but this is overdoing it. If the baker is running his own business and doesn't want to make it, fine. Their loss of business. The couple can just go to the next bakery shop and get their cake. The business is already shut down, no need to ruin these people's lives too.

[BeefcakeBo]

I'm torn on this issue.

On one hand I can't back any business that discriminates based on religion, culture, sexuality, etc.

On the other hand, shouldn't business owners have the right to choose their clientele?

I don't think that it's necessarily discrimination to decline to provide services. That should always be at the businesses own discretion. Especially if say the potential clients would be causing some type of disruption to other clients.

I think discrimination would be more along the lines of saying that the lesbian couple can get a cake but charging them 3 times as much because they are lesbian or because you are black or because you are atheist ect.

[TheXFactor]

...I'm all for equality (even though I don't believe it'll ever actually happen), but these lesbians sure are taking it pretty far.

I remember a few years back in Montreal a coffee shop refused to serve me because I couldn't speak French... maybe I could have gotten me $135,000? Dammit now i'm going to spend the rest of the day trying to remember the name of that place lol.

[Neversummer]

Good deal ... for the vulture lawyers.

[Baer.]

Fox news? They make it sound like the Gay couple are at fault.

The owners of an Oregon bakery learned Friday that there is a severe price to pay for following their Christian faith.

Yes, THEY are the ones done wrong. That whole country is a joke.

You will be forced to participate in same-sex weddings and violate your beliefs.

All they talk about is "violating beliefs" when at the same time they are violating basic human rights. What's more important?

[RUPERTKBD]

I support letting people make their own choices. That includes the Baker's right to bake for who they want. Pretty disgusting that this lesbian couple are starting out their marriage by ruining another person's life.

So, if the couple were black, or Jewish, would be okay for the bakers to discriminate based on that?

Discrimination is discrimination and there's a reason that not allowed.

[avelanch]

Fox news? They make it sound like the Gay couple are at fault.

Yes, THEY are the ones done wrong. That whole country is a joke.

Maybe it's you and your fairytale beliefs that are wrong with this world. Somebody needs to shut this guy up.

All they talk about is "violating beliefs" when at the same time they are violating basic human rights. What's more important?

it's a basic human right for someone to bake you a cake no matter the subject matter if you want them to because you're willing to pay? so someone should be able to walk into a muslim owned cake shop and be able to force them to create a cake depicting Muhammad? or a KKK member should be able to walk into a jewish bakery and force them to create a holocost themed cake?

it's a friggin cake, if someone doesn't want to make you one, go to the next cake shop 1 block over. it's not an essential service.

[goalie13]

it's a basic human right for someone to bake you a cake no matter the subject matter if you want them to because you're willing to pay? so someone should be able to walk into a muslim owned cake shop and be able to force them to create a cake depicting Muhammad? or a KKK member should be able to walk into a jewish bakery and force them to create a holocost themed cake?

it's a friggin cake, if someone doesn't want to make you one, go to the next cake shop 1 block over. it's not an essential service.

I don't recall the cake being lesbian, just the customers. Maybe I missed that part of the story.

[etsen3]

Punishment does seem harsh having said that....

"A severe punishment for for following their Christian faith"

Seriously? More like "A severe punishment for forcing others to follow their Christian faith"

I see this time and time again with the religious right...they're so self absorbed that they think their so-called "religious freedoms" allow them to take away what are really others' freedoms.

Typical Fox News

[nucklehead]

What happened to the right to refuse service? I mean this just takes the cake.

[Baer.]

it's a basic human right for someone to bake you a cake no matter the subject matter if you want them to because you're willing to pay? so someone should be able to walk into a muslim owned cake shop and be able to force them to create a cake depicting Muhammad? or a KKK member should be able to walk into a jewish bakery and force them to create a holocost themed cake?

it's a friggin cake, if someone doesn't want to make you one, go to the next cake shop 1 block over. it's not an essential service.

They aren't asking them to make a freakin SATAN cake. There's a difference between lawful denial of service and homophobia.

Talk about a hyperbole of a post.

[avelanch]

I don't recall the cake being lesbian, just the customers. Maybe I missed that part of the story.

the cake was for a lesbian wedding, which is why they refused to do it.

[thejazz97]

As far as beliefs go, Jesus said to love your neighbours - and that includes gays. I don't think it was right for them to discriminate; however, I think the amount of the fine and even the fine itself is just absurd. As someone else has said here before, it's just a cake.

This is why you love people instead of hating/discriminating. The former creates bonds, the latter just creates problems.

[avelanch]

They aren't asking them to make a freakin SATAN cake. There's a difference between lawful denial of service and homophobia.

Talk about a hyperbole of a post.

it was intentionally hyperbole to counter your outrageous statement of "violating basic human rights" because they wouldn't make them a cake...

[Baer.]

it was intentionally hyperbole to counter your outrageous statement of "violating basic human rights" because they wouldn't make them a cake...

It is violating human rights to refuse service based on religion/sexuality/race etc. That's why it's a law. They broke that law and now they have to pay for their crime, just like anybody else.

Maybe if they weren't so ignorant this wouldn't have happened. My post was reasonable, yours was just insulting.

[MikeyBoy44]

Lesbians, go figure.

[Baer.]

If you do not believe that people have a right to go into a store without worrying about being denied service because of their sexuality, you have some serious issues and I question your values.