Bakery that refused to bake a cake for gay couple shuts down
The 111 Cakery in Indianapolis has closed its doors. It caused controversy last year when the owners refused to bake a cake for a gay couple.
The bakery was in an area known for being gay-friendly but last year owners Randy and Trish McGath declined to make a cake for a gay couple who were planning a commitment ceremony.
The McGaths, who are members of the Baptist Church, refused to bake the cake because they believed it reflected a “commitment to sin,” USA Today reported at the time.
Many locals were outraged over the incident. Online users left comments on the bakery’s Facebook page calling them “ignorant bigots” and the “Hate Cakery”.
The bakery has now shut down but the owners insist it was not due to backlash over the incident. Randy McGath said it was due to the business “wearing [his wife] out”.
He said it had not caused a problem within the local gay community, insisting he had maintained good relationships with some gay people who had been opposed to them.
He said: “There was zero hate here. We were just trying to be right with our God. I was able to speak to many homosexuals in the community and to speak our opinion and have a civil conversation. I’m still in touch with some.”
Recently, it was announced that another bakery had to pay up to $150,000 (£93,000) in damages to a gay couple. Sweet Cakes By Melissa, a bakery in Oregon, closed its doors after refusing to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple.
