Joshua Feuerstein, a former televangelist in Arizona, made a video of himself calling the Cut the Cake bakery in Longwood, Florida. He asked for a cake that said, "We do not support gay marriage." Owner Sharon Haller refused. Feuerstein posted the video (since removed) and claimed a double standard. Haller has received death threats and online reviews of her business have filled up with bad reviews, leading to a drop in business. A GoFundMe has been set up to help Haller through the business slump.
I'm left wondering if Feuerstein is in Arizona why he called that particular bakery in Florida.
In a five minute video Matt Baume of AFER explains why there isn't a double standard in the cake wars. Here are some of the things he talks about:
* In private, you may discriminate all you want. You may create a gay-only cake club because the constitution guarantees freedom of association. So be a jerk if you want to.
* Public accomodation laws were put in place to prevent the nasty effects of discrimination. Refusing to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple is discriminatory on the basis of sexual orientation, and (in places with such laws) is not allowed.
* A cake with the words "God hates gays" can be refused by these laws because the discrimination is on the basis of offensiveness, not religion.
* But cake wars are a symptom of a much bigger problem – too many states still do not include sexual minorities in their civil rights laws.
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