US: Owners of bakery which refused lesbian wedding may go bankrupt after $150,000 fine
Now facing a fine of up to $150,000 (£93,000), the owners of a bakery which refused to provide a cake for a lesbian wedding may go bankrupt.
The owners of Sweet Cakes, an Oregon Bakery which last year closed its doors after refusing to provide a wedding cake to a same-sex couple, later accused gay activists of using “militant, mafia-style tactics” to force their business to shut down.
The Bureau of Labor and Industries in January said that it had concluded its investigation, and found that the owners of Sweet Cakes had unlawfully discriminated by refusing to serve the couple.
They have since run the business from their home, after the bakery closed its doors.
Aaron and Melissa Klein, the owners of the bakery, spoke at the Values Voter Summit in Washington DC, to say the fine was “definitely” enough to bankrupt them and their family.
They face a court hearing which begins tomorrow.
Mr Klein suggested the state had “broken its own anti-discrimination laws”, saying a judge did not strike down the state’s same-sex marriage ban until way after the controversy took place.
Melissa Klein added: “It’s definitely impacted us pretty hard financially, and it’s been a little stressful, but…we have the Lord and so He’s been keeping us strong.”
