Oregon Bakery That Refused To Make Wedding Cake For Lesbian Couple Paid $135K In Damages

Do you remember that bakery in Oregon that made headlines after refusing to bake a wedding cake for a lesbian couple? Well, the damages have finally been paid. Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, had to pay more than $135,000 of a state-ordered settlement (plus interest) nearly six months after the jury decided that refusing to bake a cake on religious moral grounds was discrimination.

The initial incident took place in 2013 when Laurel and Rachel Bowman-Cryer walked into Sweet Cakes by Melissa and the owners refused to bake a wedding cake for them on the grounds of religious objection to same-sex marriage. After nearly two years of deliberation in courts, the couple was awarded damages in July on the grounds of emotional suffering.

After the initial ruling, the couple had filed an appeal, which was denied, and up until this this week, the bakery had been refusing to pay the entire settlement. Initially, the Kleins had only dropped off a check for $7,000. Meanwhile, their original debt had been accruing interest, hence the large sum of money.

The Oregon Equality Act, which was passed in 2007, bans "discrimination based on sexual orientation, and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, and other categories."