Baker refuses to make wedding cake for Brisbane-based lesbian couple

Baker refuses to make wedding cake for Brisbane-based lesbian couple
Image: Sasha Patrick and Moe Barr. Image: Facebook.

A New Zealand-based baker has refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple in Brisbane, after saying it was “against her beliefs”.

Sasha Patrick and her partner Moe Barr were planning to marry in January at Waipu on New Zealand’s North Island, and had asked Kath’s Devine Cakes to make their wedding cake, according to Stuff.

Kath declined their request, citing their sexuality as the reason.

“I do not wish to offend either of you and I thank you for letting me know that it is a same-sex wedding,” Kath wrote.

“Even though as individuals you are both fabulous and amazing people, I must follow the integrity of my heart and beliefs.

“Our government has legalised same-sex marriages but it is not my belief that it is correct, therefore I will not support it and cannot make a wedding cake for you.”

Patrick and Barr had been planning their wedding before same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia last year, and said they were shocked to receive the email.

“We were really surprised to get that email,” Patrick told Stuff.

“We’ve been really open about the fact it’s a same-sex wedding and had absolutely no problems with any of the other vendors.

“You just don’t expect to get a response like that these days.”

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9 responses to “Baker refuses to make wedding cake for Brisbane-based lesbian couple”

  1. I looked on the New Zealand business register for kath’s Divine Cakes. I also looked for sole traders without any luck. Whether this means that Kath is a cash in hand business I do not know, but it would be worth checking out if anyone has the time. What I do know is that under the NZ Fair Trading Act you must accurately represent your product or service, you must not mislead customers. And you must not fail to tell customers important information. Armed with that information I would contact Fair Trading New Zealand and give them the above information and request that Kath’s divine cakes be required to put on their website and storefront that they do not serve gay and lesbian couples.

  2. Bigot baker: “I can’t bake your cake” because it’s against my religion, you’ll have to go to another baker”

    Bigot checkout 1: “I can’t put through your ham because it’s against my religion, you’ll have to go to another checkout”

    Bigot checkout 2: “I can’t put through your condoms because it’s against my religion, you’ll have to go to another checkout”

    Bigot checkout 3: “I can’t put through your *(whatever) because it’s against my religion, you’ll have to go to another checkout”

    Bigot town clerk: “I cannot sell you a hunting or fishing license, I’m now a vegan”. Etc, etc….

    You get the idea now? If you can’t do the job, fairly for ALL, get out of that job.

  3. It’s amazing but still shows the double standard
    we as gay men and women have to accept rules that say its ok to discrininate against us due to our sexual orinentation
    But churches and bakers can say no to us and we have to wear it
    Its bullshit
    The catholic church has now said it will not reportort the confession of child abusers
    GIVE ME A BREAK

  4. I find it incredible that homosexuals have for years fought against discrimination yet when someone else says I don’t agree with you and actually say it that that persons right of freedom is discriminated against. There must be many bakers who would be happy to accept this homosexual couples order. I’m heterosexual and if I went to a baker for a cake and he, she or they turned down my order on my sexuality I would simply go to another baker. Offence is one of the largest contributor’s to unnecessary conflict. Just look at the comments from Dave swearing, antagonizing and even discrimination. It is not just an opinion held by churches there are many people in the wider community that do not agree with many things. We cannot always have everyone agreeing to everything I say, believe, want, see hear or taste it would be a great loss if we were all exactly the same.

  5. Bigot baker: “I can’t bake your cake” because it’s against my religion, you’ll have to go to another baker”

    Bigot checkout 1: “I can’t put through your ham because it’s against my religion, you’ll have to go to another checkout”

    Bigot checkout 2: “I can’t put through your condoms because it’s against my religion, you’ll have to go to another checkout”

    Bigot checkout 3: “I can’t put through your ham because it’s against my religion, you’ll have to go to another checkout”

    Bigot town clerk: “I cannot sell you a hunting or fishing license, I’m now a vegan”. Etc, etc….

    You get the idea now? If you can’t do the job, fairly for ALL, get out of that job.

    • It is upsetting, but I’d rather people be upfront with me rather than spitting in my cake and then take my money! Who on earth wants to give business to homophobic people anyway?

    • If you can only see this as an individual rights issue then sure, you’re logically and philosophically correct to hold that view. But consumers in retail environments don’t and won’t accept refusal of service on the grounds that they’re elderly, they’re disabled, they’re black or brown, they’re divorced or (at least when they’re buying a cake) on the basis of gender. The rights of the retailer to discriminate on any of these grounds are quite rightly bugger all.

      You say it’s okay to say no to the gays in a world where discrimination laws exist for a very good reason? Do you even vaguely grasp that these laws have played a very important role in reducing gay suicide and social acceptance and most recently marriage equality? If you can only see issues through an individual rights prism you won’t care about these issues but that’s where you’re different to most.

      Or have you been sucked in by the notion that wedding cakes are somehow different because somehow selling someone a wedding cake means via some bullshit strawman perspective endorsing their marriage? Because that’s patently bullshit that the likes of Senator James Paterson and the baker in this article are hiding behind and hoping nobody notices. You didn’t so perhaps they’re onto something.

  6. Unbelievable. This is the modern equivalent of stores with signs saying “No blacks or Irish”.

    If you have to discriminate or act on your xenophobia then get the fuck out of retail. If you want to serve one customer you have to (within bounds of safety etc) serve everybody. That’s the way it works and has done for decades.

    This baker needs to move out of retail and start wholesaling wedding cakes to churches to on-sell as part of a wedding package to couples who marry in those churches. That way they never have to say no to a gay couple.

    What’s incredibly rude about this baker is they didn’t forewarn same sex couples that they would not be served. That’s disgusting.