Gay Wedding Cake

Colorado: Jack Phillips, owner of the Masterpiece Cakeshop, was targeted by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding but, eventually, won his case before the Supreme Court. The baker's lawsuit accuses the Commission of violating his constitutional exercise of free speech, due process, and the right to equal protection. [...]

The court ruling was made on the basis of unequal treatment by the civil-rights commission, not on whether or not the state has the right to force someone to labor for another person if they choose not to do so. Based on the narrow wording of the court decision, it is likely that the next time there is a challenge of this kind, freedom-of-choice will not be defended. [...]

Bakersfield, California: Judge David Lampe ruled against forcing Cathy Miller, owner of Tasteries Bakery, to bake a cake for a lesbian couple, because it would violate her First Amendment rights. However, he said that, if the couple wanted to buy an already-made cake, Miller would be required to sell it to them to comply with the state's anti-discrimination law. [...]

The bakers had to pay a $135K fine for 'emotional damage' and lost their business. The Christian couple's attorneys argued in favor of the First Amendment in refusing to make the cake, while the lesbian couple argued that all people should be treated equally under the law. [What part of the Constitution or logic says that a free people should be forced against their will to perform services for anyone who demands it? Forget 'religious reasons" and forget 'freedom of speech".