Bakery That Refused Cake For Same-Sex Wedding Ordered To Pay Damages

Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries has ordered a local bakery to pay $135,000 in damages to the lesbian couple whose wedding cake they refused to make.  

According to The Guardian, two years ago Oregon bakery Sweet Cakes by Melissa refused to bake a wedding cake for Laurel and Rachel Bowman-Cryer on the grounds that they are a lesbian couple and bakery owners Aaron and Melissa Klein object to same-sex marriage on religious grounds. The Kleins' action ran afoul of Oregon's anti-discrimination laws, and they wound up closing their store rather than agreeing to just make cakes for any person who came in wanting to buy them. The Kleins still take wedding cake orders from their home kitchen, however.

Now the labor and industries bureau decided that the Kleins owe the Bowman-Cryers $135,000 in damages for emotional suffering caused by being victims of anti-gay discrimination.

"This case is not about a wedding cake or a marriage," said Oregon labor commissioner Brad Avakian. "It is about a business's refusal to serve someone because of their sexual orientation. Under Oregon law, that is illegal."

The Kleins are expected to appeal the ruling.