U.K. Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Appeal of Bakers' Family Sued for Declining to Write 'Support Gay Marriage' on Cake
The U.K. Supreme Court has agreed to consider the appeal of a Christian family of bakers who was found guilty of discrimination against a gay couple for refusing their instruction to make a "gay marriage" cake.
The court will hear the arguments for the appeal in October, RTE reported.
The McArthurs, who own the Ashers Baking Company, expressed hope that they will eventually be vindicated.
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"The fact that the Supreme Court is willing to hear arguments is very encouraging and reflects the importance of the issues and the high-profile nature of the case," said Daniel McArthur, general manager for the company.
In 2015, a lower court found the company guilty of discrimination against gay rights activist Gareth Lee.
Lee placed an order at the Belfast branch of the bakery in 2014. His order was for a cake with Sesame Street characters, the words "support gay marriage" and the logo of QueerSpace, an LGBT advocacy group, according to Christian News Network.
The customer ordered the cake to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
Karen, McArthur's mother, initially accepted the order to save Lee from embarrassment. But she soon changed her mind after talking about it with her family. They agreed that heeding their customer's demands would go against their beliefs about God and marriage.
The company called Lee, explained their side, and offered a refund. However, Lee took offense and reported the company to the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland.
Ashers Baking Company was ordered to pay damages. When they refused, a case was filed in court.
Judge Isobel Brownlie found the company "guilty of unlawful discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation" and ordered them to pay an amount equivalent to $800.
According to the judge's decision, the Ashers Baking Company is guilty as "they are conducting business for profit and, notwithstanding their religious beliefs, there are no exceptions available under the 2006 regulations which apply to this case."
The Ashers contested the ruling, saying they are not discriminating against homosexuals.
What made them decide to turn down Lee's request was the message that the customer wanted to be written on the cake.
"This has never been about the customer. It has been about a message promoting a cause that contradicts the Bible," McArthur said.
Recently, the bakery found itself in the limelight once again after it refused to bake an engagement cake for a same-sex couple, Pink News reported.
