PORTLAND, Ore. — Two Oregon bakeries who cited their moral principles and religious convictions as the basis for refusing to bake wedding cakes for gay couples, are seemingly selective in which Biblical “sins” they are willing to accommodate.
Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Gresham, Ore., and Fleur Cakes in Mt. Hood, Ore., gained national attention for their refusal to accommodate same-sex ceremonies, but according to a survey conducted by Willamette Week, a Portland, ore.-based alternative weekly newspaper, will happily provide cakes to celebrate divorce, out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and pagan rituals.
Owners at both bakeries describe themselves as “Christian,” and cited their religious beliefs as the reason they would not provide cakes for same-sex weddings, prompting Willamette Week to explore how “Christian” they really are:
We wondered what other requests these cakemakers would decline to honor. So last week five WW reporters called these two bakeries anonymously to get price quotes for other occasions frowned upon by some Christians. Surprisingly, the people who answered the phone at each bakery were quite willing to provide baked goods for celebrations of divorces, unmarried parents, stem-cell research, non-kosher barbecues and pagan solstice parties.
We later contacted both bakeries to ask about these inconsistencies. Regentin declined to comment beyond asking whether she had been taped (she had not).
Sweet Cakes owners Melissa and Aaron Klein were upset that we “would even try to entrap a business” and contacted conservative talk-show host Lars Larson.
Oregon law mandates that businesses provide “full and equal accommodations without any distinction on account of race, color, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.”
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The state Bureau of Labor and Industries is investigating a complaint against Sweet Cakes by Melissa.
