An Oregon bakery discriminated against a same-sex couple when they refused to sell them a wedding cake the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) announced Monday.
KGW.com reported that the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa bakery in Gresham, Ore. will have to pay the couple up to $150,000, BOLI spokesman Charlie Burr said. The exact amount will be determined at a hearing on March 10.
When Laurel Bowman tried to order the cake the co-owner of the bakery, Aaron Klein, refused to sell them the cake saying the couple’s union was an “abomination unto the lord.”
Bowman filed an anti-discrimination complaint with BOLI later that year, alleging that the bakery violated the Oregon Equality Act of 2007, which protects the rights of Oregonians who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.
“Oregonians may not be denied service based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The law provides an exemption for religious organizations and schools, but does not allow private businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation,” Burr said.
Although the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa are religious, the bakery is not a religious institution under law.
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