A spokesman for a conservative Christian organization that lobbies for traditional marriage has come out in support of a bakery that refused to make a cake for a customer who requested that it include the phrase: "God hates Gays."
Azucar Bakery of Denver is currently under investigation by the Civil Rights division of the Department of Regulatory Agencies for possibly discriminating against a customer last March.
Jeff Johnston, issues analyst with the Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, told The Christian Post that he sided with the pro-gay bakery on the grounds of First Amendment rights.
"This is a free speech issue, and we support freedom of speech. It's also a religious or conscience issue — the government should not force people to violate their core beliefs," said Johnston.
"Just as a Christian baker should not be required to create a cake for a same-sex ceremony, this baker should not be required to create a cake with a message that goes against her conscience."
Marjorie Silva, the owner of Azucar who declined to make the anti-gay cake, told local media that the customer wanted a cake that included the phrase "God hates gays" along with an X through the image of a same-sex couple.
"After I read it, I was like, 'No way. We're not doing this.' This is just very discriminatory and hateful," Silva told 9News. "It's unfair that he's accusing me of discriminating when I think he was the one that is discriminating."
Last March, a customer named Bill Jack requested that Azucar Bakery bake a cake shaped like a Bible that would've included the "God hates gays" messages on it.
Silva refused to make the cake, concluding that the messages on the cake were discriminatory. In response, Jack filed a complaint with DORA's Civil Rights Division.
In a statement given to local media outlet 9News, Jack stated that he felt discriminated against when Azucar refused to make the cake he requested.
"I believe I was discriminated against by the bakery based on my creed. As a result, I filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights division," Jack said. "Out of respect for the process, I will wait for the director to release his findings before making further comments."
Azucar is not the first bakery to find itself in legal trouble over expression regarding homosexuality, but it might be the first to face possible legal action for refusing to cater to anti-gay sentiments.
Back in 2012 Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cake, another Colorado-based bakery, was sued for refusing to bake a cake for a gay wedding.
Although Phillips agreed to make them other baked items, he said that his Christian beliefs prohibited him from fulfilling the request to make a cake for the wedding.
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"This is a free speech issue, and we support freedom of speech. It's also a religious or conscience issue — the government should not force people to violate their core beliefs," said Johnston.
"Just as a Christian baker should not be required to create a cake for a same-sex ceremony, this baker should not be required to create a cake with a message that goes against her conscience."
Marjorie Silva, the owner of Azucar who declined to make the anti-gay cake, told local media that the customer wanted a cake that included the phrase "God hates gays" along with an X through the image of a same-sex couple.
Jack Phillips
(Photo: Screen Grab via CBS 4)
Colorado baker Jack Phillips.
"After I read it, I was like, 'No way. We're not doing this.' This is just very discriminatory and hateful," Silva told 9News. "It's unfair that he's accusing me of discriminating when I think he was the one that is discriminating."
Last March, a customer named Bill Jack requested that Azucar Bakery bake a cake shaped like a Bible that would've included the "God hates gays" messages on it.
Silva refused to make the cake, concluding that the messages on the cake were discriminatory. In response, Jack filed a complaint with DORA's Civil Rights Division.
In a statement given to local media outlet 9News, Jack stated that he felt discriminated against when Azucar refused to make the cake he requested.
"I believe I was discriminated against by the bakery based on my creed. As a result, I filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights division," Jack said. "Out of respect for the process, I will wait for the director to release his findings before making further comments."
Azucar is not the first bakery to find itself in legal trouble over expression regarding homosexuality, but it might be the first to face possible legal action for refusing to cater to anti-gay sentiments.
Back in 2012 Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cake, another Colorado-based bakery, was sued for refusing to bake a cake for a gay wedding.
Although Phillips agreed to make them other baked items, he said that his Christian beliefs prohibited him from fulfilling the request to make a cake for the wedding.
In response the gay couple filed a complaint against Phillips, which led to the Colorado Civil Rights Division determining that Masterpiece Cakeshop had discriminated against the couple.
"The undisputed facts show that (Phillips) discriminated against complainants because of their sexual orientation by refusing to sell them a wedding cake for their same-sex marriage," wrote Judge Robert N. Spencer in his December 2013 decision.
Phillips has since stopped baking wedding cakes for either straight or same-sex couples as a result of the Spencer decision.
On Facebook, Azucar Bakery's owner posted a photo of herself holding a white-frosted cake with the phrase "Stop the Hate!! Don't Discriminate."
As of Wednesday, the Facebook photo has garnered about 800 likes, 77 shares, and more than 140 comments, many of them statements of encouragement.
Rebecca Laurie, spokesperson with DORA, told CP that "we are not at liberty to verify a case, provide documents or comment."
