‘This Was Direct Discrimination’
A Belfast, Northern Ireland bakery has lost its appeal after being sued for anti-gay discrimination. Asher’s Bakeries had refused to bake a cake with the words “Support Gay Marriage” in 2014. The bakery’s owners are Christians and claimed baking the cake would have violated their religious beliefs.Â
In 2015 a court ruled the bakers could not cater only to those who share their religious beliefs. The bakers had professed the cake “was at odds with our beliefs and with what the Bible teaches.” The cake was ordered to support the International Day Against Homophobia.
On Monday, the appeals court ruled that the bakery owners “would not have objected to a cake carrying the message ‘Support Heterosexual Marriage’ or indeed ‘Support Marriage’. We accept that it was the use of the word ‘Gay’ in the context of the message which prevented the order from being fulfilled.”
“The reason that the order was cancelled was that the appellants would not provide a cake with a message supporting a right to marry for those of a particular sexual orientation,” the summary of the ruling reads. “This was a case of association with the gay and bisexual community and the protected personal characteristic was the sexual orientation of that community. Accordingly this was direct discrimination.”
The McArthur family, owners of Asher’s Bakeries, told reporters they are “extremely disappointed with today’s ruling.”
“If equality law means people can be punished for politely refusing to support other people’s causes, then equality law needs to change,” the McArthurs said. “This ruling undermines democratic freedom. It undermines religious freedom. It undermines free speech.”
The court disagreed.
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Image: Screenshot via Belfast Telegraph
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