Oregon Bakery That Denied Wedding Cake To Lesbian Couple Closes
Earlier this year, an Oregon bakery sparked a major controversy when the owners decided against baking a wedding cake for a lesbian couple that was planning on hiring them for the task. Just weeks after the couple filed a complaint with the state against the bakery, the shop, named Sweet Cakes by Melissa, has shut down, The Huffington Post reports.
Back in January, co-owner Aaron Klein, who ran the shop along with his wife Melissa, denied Rachel Cryer a wedding cake because she was marrying her female partner, Laurel. The refusal made national news, and put the bakery in the middle of a heated national debate. Even Food Network's Duff Goldman entered the fray, offering to bake a wedding cake for the couple free of charge.
All this hoopla wasn't good for business, however, as the bakery closed its doors and posted the following message on their Facebook page: "This will be our last weekend at the shop we are moving our business to an in home bakery. I will post our new number soon."
The sign that they posted on their door after the complaint was filed was a bit more pointed, however. This one read, "This fight is not over. We will continue to stand strong. Your Religious Freedom is becoming not Free anymore. This is ridiculous that we can not practice our faith. The LORD is good and we will continue to serve Him with all our heart."