Jack Phillips, a Colorado baker sued for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple, has landed himself another lawsuit–and more news headlines. This time, Phillips has refused to bake a birthday cake for a transgender woman, citing religious beliefs.
Phillips took his case involving the gay couple to the Supreme Court back in 2018, where he won a partial victory. While that case sat before the court, Autumn Scardina called Phillips’ bakery, Masterpiece Cakeshop, to order a birthday cake. The cake would have celebrated her gender transition as well, with blue icing on the outside and pink filling on the inside. Phillips refused, noting his religious beliefs against transgender people.
Related: Colorado Bakery Celebrating Dog Marriages Refuses To Service Gay Weddings
Now the case has gone before a Colorado court. Fox 8 News reports that in opening arguments, Phillips’ lawyer Sean Gates argued that making the cake would violate his client’s religion. He also cited other examples where Phillips had refused to make items based on the message they would send, including Halloween baked goods.
“The message would be that he agrees that a gender transition is something to be celebrated,” said Gates.
The Colorado Civil Rights Commission had previously found that Phillips likely violated Scardina’s civil rights by refusing her service. Phillips, meanwhile, filed a lawsuit against the state of Colorado, accusing it of a “crusade to crush” his business, though he subsequently dropped the suit.
Should the case make it before the Supreme Court, it could have far-reaching consequences for businesses and the queer community. The 2018 ruling by the High Court in the case of Phillips found that while he did discriminate against the gay couple, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission which had initially ordered Phillips to provide all services to LGBTQ people regardless of his religious objections had overstepped its bounds. In other words, the court punted on the issue of anti-discrimination, essentially issuing a decision in favor of both sides. With the court makeup heavily changed since 2018, another it could potentially issue a broader ruling which would set precedent for how businesses interact with queer people nationwide.
Mister P
A business that is open to the public cannot discriminate period. He may as well post a sign that says no blacks or no Jews.
This has nothing to do with his religion. Other than he somehow thinks his religion gives him a pass to be a dick.
Mack
Well he’s proving to be a dick.
winemaker
Businesses who refuse service to paying customers because they have differing religious views are damned fools, period. Paying customers pay the bills, not religious views. This bakery has undoubtedly baked cakes, cookies etc. for customers with differing lifestyles and religious views. they might not agree with. This reminds me of the Oregon bakery who refused to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple when they found out the cake was for a same sex wedding. Stupid people. To save themselves the hassle the bakery upon finding out the cake was for a same sex wedding should have done what a normal bakery who didn’t want to bake the cake because they disagreed with same sex relationships should have asked the ladies ‘when’s the wedding’? Upon finding out the date, the baker should have excused himself/ herself went to their calendar under the ruse of checking the date. then state they were booked solid but referred them to another bakery who’d do the cake. problem solved, no lawsuit or drama. Wedding cakes are expensive, time consuming and require logistics and are not like baking a couple dozen cookies or so. Some people make things more complicated than they need to be.
cuteguy
If the Dems don’t pack the courts like the McConnell and the GQP did the last four years, we are all screwed
conans
Invitation to a sex club – xmeet.fun
Mr. Stadnick
This is a pretty well known bakery outside of its community so why did this person even go to them? Why would you want to give them your money? Granted the owner is a total jerk but why go to him in the first place is this some one bakery town?
BaltoSteve
Looking it up, she ordered the cake before the verdict was handed down. It’s now just making it’s way through the system.
Vince
Coming from the same crowd that believes business have no right to require face masks.
BoomerMyles
According to this guy”s religion, anyone not in his faith is going to hell. So if it really were a religious issue he should refuse to bake cakes for other Prots, Catholics, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Atheists….just about everyone.
Manrico Jimenez
Can he finish the trifecta and be an anti-masker & anti-vaxer and just die of COVID already?
Mr. Stadnick
Wow you just wish death on someone. You have lost all credibility and should be ashamed.
mastik8
I wonder who the money is behind Autumn Scardina? This will be a very expensive case to fight especially since they plan on taking it to SCOTUS.
BaltoSteve
Well, as she is a trial lawyer, guessing it is going to be mostly in house.
mastik8
@BaltoSteve – Thanks for mentioning that. I didn’t catch it in the article.
BaltoSteve
@mastik8, You’re welcome. It wasn’t in the article. I had to look it up.
missvamp
how has he stayed in business this long if he doesn’t bake for any holidays & discriminates against pretty much everyone? does he only sell to his fellow cult members?
averageguy40
I have never understood this. I spend my dollars with people that want my business, not force it on someone that doesn’t. Would you really want to eat a cake from someone that doesn’t approve of you?
Openminded
Exactly my sentiments. Right or wrong in his decisions, I’m not going to force anyone to take my money.
Openminded
I actually support a PRIVATE business owner making his own decisions. Of course most businesses will quickly learn what hurts their business and should support all reasonable requests. In this particular case, I think both the business and the shunned customer are too contrary for their own good. I support a “business” that only caters to nudist gay men in a campground setting. It’s technically a “club” to skirt laws against nude gay men, but it’s still a business that excludes females, so I’d be a hypocrite if I claimed PRIVATE businesses shouldn’t be able to select their clientele. I think I’m correct in stating that most if not all bathhouses exclude female clientele.
HMFan
Oh, God. Not THIS self-righteous, dime store Grizzly Adams knockoff again. And WHY do LGBTQ+ people keep going to him? He CAN’T be the only talented baker in town. And if not as talented at least a whole buttload less controversial. Criminy!