Bakery owners in ‘gay cake’ case set to go to Europe’s highest court
The Christian owners of Ashers Bakery in Northern Ireland have confirmed that they are considering taking the ‘gay cake’ case to the European Court of Human Rights.
The Christian Institute is writing on behalf of the family business to the Court of Appeal in Belfast to confirm appeal procedures at the Court in Strasbourg.
Ashers Baking Company – based in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland – refused the request of gay rights activist Gareth Lee for a cake showing the message ‘Support Gay Marriage’ above an image of Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie.
The owners of Ashers Bakery were found guilty of unlawful discrimination based on sexual orientation, political and religious grounds, after refusing to bake the cake.
The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland penalised the bakery because it’s owners refused to ‘promote’ homosexuality on the cake, and took the company to court after the bakery rejected a legal settlement.
Daniel and Amy McArthur, who argued in court documents that God would consider it a sin to make cakes with pro-gay messages on, have lost two court battles on the issue.
Judges in the Court of Appeal in Belfast ruled that the owners must provide customers with the cake of their choice, even if it violates their faith.
The bakery vowed to “make a stand” after it was found to have broken anti-discrimination laws.
Bakery owner Daniel McArthur said “we have not done anything wrong” and that the bakery would not be closing down following the scandal.
Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Arlene Foster, threatened to limit powers of the country’s anti-discrimination body after the two Christian bakers lost the legal battle.
