October 11, 2018

ENGLAND: UK Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Christian Bakery Owners In Norther Ireland Who Refused To Make 'Support Gay Marriage' Cake.

Washington Examiner
written by Diana Stancy Correll
Wednesday October 10, 2018

The Christian owners of Ashers Baking Company in Northern Ireland who refused to make a cake with the words "Support Gay Marriage" won their appeal Wednesday in the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

LGBT activist Gareth Lee ordered the cake in 2014 with Bert and Ernie from "Sesame Street" and subsequently sued the bakery for discrimination of sexual orientation and political views. The owners of the bakery, Amy and Daniel McArthur, claimed they did not refuse service to Lee because of his sexual orientation, but rather that they disagreed with the message on the cake.

A court in Belfast ruled in 2015 in favor of Lee, but the case was appealed and the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court unanimously overturned the ruling.

"I know a lot of people will be glad to hear this ruling today, because this ruling protects freedom of speech and freedom of conscience for everyone," Daniel McArthur said after the ruling, per the BBC.

Lee said he is worried about "the implications for all of the gay community."

"To me, this was never about conscience or a statement. All I wanted to do was to order a cake in a shop," Lee said.

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has backed Lee and said that the group would evaluate the ramifications of the case.

"There is a concern that this judgement may raise uncertainty about the application of equality law in the commercial sphere, both about what businesses can do and what customers may expect," said Michael Wardlow, chief commissioner for the the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

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