THE COUPLE AT the centre of last year’s ‘gay cake’ row have said that they ‘don’t hate anyone’.
Daniel and Amy McArthur (Daniel’s parents being the owners of Belfast-based Ashers Baking Company) are set to go before the Court of Appeal in Belfast this Wednesday to attempt to overturn a decision last year that they had broken political and sexual orientation discrimination laws.
The couple – both of whom are evangelical Christians - were caught up in the controversy after refusing to bake a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan on it.
After facing the Equality Tribunal in May 2015, the couple were fined £500 (€660).
Speaking about the experience, the couple have said that it strengthened their marriage.
“It was clear from the start that we didn’t hate anyone,” said Daniel.
We weren’t trying to discriminate against anyone. We did what we did because of our Christian beliefs. But yet they wanted to pursue it with everything they had. They wanted to take us to court. They wanted, I think, to try and teach us a lesson or send out a signal.
The pair, who have the backing of the Christian Institute in Northern Ireland, said that they had taken their action over “love of God”.
Speaking about the experience, Amy said that she had found the experience of going to court distressing, but that it had been a “blessing” for their marriage.
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