A couple who runs a bakery in Oregon has refused to provide a wedding cake for a same-sex couple planning to marry, claiming it’s against their beliefs. Sweet Cakes by Melissa owner Aaron Klein explained to one of the brides-to-be and her mother that they could not provide a cake, prompting the women to walk out and disgust. Klein says he’s okay with gay customers buying his products, but he cannot approve of a same-sex wedding:
KLEIN: I believe that marriage is a religious institution ordained by God. The book of Genesis talks about that: For this reason, a man should leave his mother and father and cling to his wife. That to me is the beginning of marriage. [...]
I have no problem with [gays]. I have customers that come in almost on a weekly basis that are homosexual. I have no problem. They can buy my stuff, I sell stuff, I talk with them. I mean, it’s fine.
Watch a local news report about the controversy:
The same-sex couple has filed a complaint with the Oregon Department of Justice, claiming they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. Oregon has had a law protecting against such discrimination since 2008.
Reports of couples similarly being denied cakes have been reported over the past few years in other states like Colorado and Iowa.
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