Iowa Baker Refuses To Bake Lesbian Couple's Wedding Cake
Comments (12)
One Des Moines baker said it was her right to refuse service to a lesbian couple. (Creative Commons)
Victoria Childress, who runs Victoria's Cake Cottage out of her home in Des Moines, says it was her right to refuse service to Trina Vodraska and Janelle Sievers, who are planning a June wedding.
"They came in and she introduced herself and I said, 'Is this your sister?' [And she said,] 'No this is my partner,'" Childress said.
"I said, 'I'll tell you I'm a Christian, and I do have convictions.' And I said, 'I'm sorry to tell you, but I'm not going to be able to do the cake because of my convictions for their lifestyle. It is my right, and it's not to discriminated against them. It's not so much to do with them, it's to do with me and my walk with God and what I will answer [to] Him for."
While Childress said she did not belittle the couple, Vodraska and Sievers said they were left feeling humiliated by the experience.
"It was degrading," Vodraska said. "It was like she chastised us for wanting to do business with her."
The couple didn't want to appear on camera in interviews with local news stations, but they did issue a statement, which said in part:
"Awareness of equality was our only goal in bringing this to light, it is not about cake or someone's right to refuse service to a customer. We are grateful for the outpouring of support we have received and hope that by stepping forward we have prevented someone else from experiencing the same type of bigotry."
Other bakeries in the area have come to the couple's defense. Several of those bakers also identify as Christian.
"It is a business," Amanda Laurich, owner of Des Moines' Three Chicks Bakery, told KCCI.com. "It's about the people. It's about making the people happy too."
Another local baker, Cynthia Hendrickson, said, "As Christians, we are supposed to be unselfish, and do things for the greatest good of mankind, and not pass judgment."
Laurich also said that there ought to be a fine line between work and religion.
"I respect her convictions, but I wouldn't be truthful if I said I wasn't doing this to make money too," she said.
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Comments
to the comment on Nov 162011
"My love through Christ allows me to make you a wonderful wedding cake, I don't agree with your choice, however rather then condemn you, maybe as you eat my cake you will remember that salvation awaits you through Jesus...but that is not how it happened. I am sure the baker would have had a very hard time explaining how she loved someone who is gay and forgave them enough to bake them a cake, even if that is what Jesus would have done..." ARE YOU KIDDING ME????????
So even though the baker does NOT believe they are doing the right thing, she is still supposed to make a celebratory cake for the event?????????? Wake up people!! I want to buy cakes from this lady now because she is standing up for what is right, not what is "politically correct". In the end, we are not the judge (and this lady didn't judge them) I am so sick of people telling me I need to stop worrying about what the bible says because "things have changed" society has changed, I am pretty sure when this book was written it was not "time sensitive". If you choose not to believe then you will deal with the consequences when the time comes but those of us who DO believe will also deal with our own sins at that time but we will not be the ones judging, but will also be judged so the baker did the exact correct thing and I hope she got a ton of business because of it.
BY THE WAY..."Christians have to learn to compromise". ???????????????? You DO NOT compromise Gods rules or you will be
BREAKING them! Do you tell your kids, ok I know you are not supposed to do drugs but a lot of people think its ok, so go ahead and "compromise the rules" if it means people want you to.
The baker was in the right. She was obeying her God, her beliefs, and that MUST must must be respected and yes, defended.
If a business can say "No shoes, No shirt, No service." Then why can't a christian business say "No Cakes". We have to stand up for our convictions. Gays cannot force their lifestyle on everyone. Just like I don't have to tolerate pedophilia, I don't have to tolerate homosexuality. We can love the sinner, but we don't have to love the sin. You won't always be liked in any society and you have to learn to deal with it. The bible is clear and speaks against homosexuality in the bible. God created woman to be with man and there will be consequences, no matter what laws get passed or who supports the lifestyle. Please seek God and ask Him to reveal the truth to you, but know that there is a real devil who will fight you. So the choice is ultimately yours. Heaven or Hell....Seek His Word and find Him.
As is often the case with legalese, the language of the law doesn't parse very well grammatically. But the portion you are referring to specifically addresses entities that provide goods, etc. "gratuitously" ... i.e. charities. It is basically saying that charities that receive no public funds are exempt from the anti-discrimination law, but charities that do receive public funds must adhere to them. The preceding portion of the law, however, states that entities that sell goods "for a fee or charge" must adhere to the anti-discrimination laws.
In response to commenter Dave who wrote: "Actually the baker appears to be in violation of Iowa state law. In 2007, the Iowa General Assembly amended the Iowa Civil Rights Act to include homosexuals as a protected class. Private businesses that sell goods to the general public -- e.g., bakeries -- are prohibited by Iowa law from refusing service to customers based on their sexual orientation. Any claims that the baker has the legal right to refuse service to anyone for any reason are just factually incorrect."
The Iowa Civil Rights Act states that it only applies to private businesses when the business has received government funds. ( "shall be deemed a public accommodation if the accommodation receives governmental support or subsidy.")
Source: http://www.legis.iowa.gov/DOCS/ACO/IC/LINC/Chapter.216.html
Actually the baker appears to be in violation of Iowa state law. In 2007, the Iowa General Assembly amended the Iowa Civil Rights Act to include homosexuals as a protected class. Private businesses that sell goods to the general public -- e.g., bakeries -- are prohibited by Iowa law from refusing service to customers based on their sexual orientation. Any claims that the baker has the legal right to refuse service to anyone for any reason are just factually incorrect. Anti-discrimination laws that place certain restrictions on the rights of business owners to refuse service have been on the books for almost fifty years. People should be more aware of that fact.
Just as the lesbian couple has a right to believe what they believe, the baker also has a right to her own convictions. People every day make decisions based on their personal convictions, and though we may not always agree, we need to support their right to stick with their convictions. That is what this country is about. There are many examples. For example there are religious groups that don't believe in life saving medical care. I may not agree with them, but I support their right to their own beliefs. The Amish don't believe in any of our modern conveniences. I may not agree with them, but I respect their right to live as they choose. There are people who strongly believe we should not eat meat, that it's not fair to the animals. I don't agree with them (I can't imagine life without meat), but I would not go to their house and insist they cook me a juicy steak for dinner.
There was another baker (or store) that refused to bake a birthday cake a few years back. The family named their son Adolf Hitler, and the bakery was not comfortable baking a cake with that name on it. I posted the link to that article below. I feel that regardless of where you stand on an issue, it is important to remember that we are a free country and people have a right to refuse to do something that is contrary to their personal beliefs.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28269290/ns/us_news-weird_news/t/-year-old-h...
I agree with the person who posted below meーif it was a humiliating experience, why did they feel the need to share it with the media? I would be more understanding if someone came to their house and tried to force them to believe something, but they came into this baker's shop and she declined with an honest explanation for why she felt she couldn't bake them the wedding cake. They could have easily gone to any other baker after that, why attack this woman for standing up for what she believes in?
This lady respectfully declined making the wedding cake for two lesbians who are getting married.
Now she is being ostracized for her beliefs. Why do gays have the right to force acceptance of their sexual CHOICE on everyone else.
We don't have any rights to be accepted in our religious choice.
There are consequences to all life choices.
People do not have to accept me.
I am willing to suffer the burdens of my beliefs, and share them with you if only if you wish.
If you choose the hat, don't expect everyone to admire it.