In a recent announcement by Oregon State officials, owners of an Oregon bakery “Sweet Cakes By Melissa” who recently turned away a lesbian couple that needed a wedding cake reportedly violated the state’s anti-discrimination laws. The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries has ruled that Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of the bakery will have to pay the lesbian couple up to $150,000, according to USA Today.
According to the spokesman for the Bureau, Charlie Burr – although Oregon law provides an exemption for religious institutions, it “does not allow private businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation, just as they cannot legally deny service based on race, sex, age, disability or religion.” He continued, “The bakery is not a religious institution under the law.”
Kleins’ lawyer “Anna Harmon” on the other hand as called the ruling “wrong and dangerous,” and said, “Americans should not have to choose between adhering to their faith or closing their business, but that is what this decision means.”
