Judge, ACLU say baker must provide same-sex wedding cake

Two men filed a complaint with the state of Colorado after a cake artist declined to use his creative abilities to promote and endorse their same-sex ceremony even though other cake artists were willing to do the job and marriage between members of the same sex is not legal in Colorado.

In July 2012, Charlie Craig and David Mullins asked Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, to make a wedding cake to celebrate their same-sex ceremony. In an exchange lasting about 30 seconds, Phillips politely declined, explaining that he would gladly make them any other type of baked item they wanted but that he could not make a cake promoting a same-sex ceremony because of his faith. Craig and Mullins, represented by attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union, immediately left the shop without comment and later filed a complaint the Colorado Civil Rights Division.

Friday and administrative law judge held that the baker had violated state law.  Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Nicolle Martin said, “America was founded on the fundamental freedom of every citizen to live and work according to their beliefs. Forcing Americans to promote ideas against their will undermines our constitutionally protected freedom of expression and our right to live free. If the government can take away our First Amendment freedoms, there is nothing it can’t take away. We are considering our next steps.”