THE EQUALITY COMMISSION in Northern Ireland is pursuing a bakery chain after they refused to make a cake with a slogan supporting gay marriage.
Ashers Bakery say they initially took the order from a customer for a cake with a picture of Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street with a slogan that read ’Support Gay Marriage’.
The customer also asked for the logo of LGBT organisation Queer Space to be placed on the cake.
Ashers say that, after consulting about the cake, they decided that they would not be able to complete the order and informed the customer before refunding him.
“We considered it, looked at it and decided that it was at odds with our beliefs and was in contradiction with what the Bible teaches,” explains general manager Daniel McArthur in a video produced by the Christian Institute.
The company was founded by Christians, the current directors are Christians, that means that we run a business by Christian values and beliefs, based on what the Bible teaches. That also means for example that we don’t open on Sundays and we trade openly and honestly with people.
But the Equality Commission is taking a tough stance against the bakery’s decision not to serve the customer, saying that they have acted “unlawfully and contrary to Regulation 5 of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation regulations) (Northern Ireland) 2006 which prohibits discrimination”.
In a letter to the bakery, the Equality Commission says that the bakery must suggest a remedy to their unlawful discrimination within seven days or face legal proceedings.
The commission says that they are in breach of the stated law that prohibits discrimination in the provision of goods and services to people on the grounds of their sexuality.
Ashers say they continue to stick by their original decision and will not be changing their stance.
Gay marriage is not legal in Northern Ireland as it is in Britain.
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