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Oregon bakery refuses to make same-sex wedding cake
‘I believe that marriage is a religious institution ordained by God,’ owner says
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Aaron Klein at Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Gresham, Ore.
By Mike Benner
KGW-TV
updated 2/2/2013 5:53:52 PM ET
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GRESHAM, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Justice is looking into a complaint that a Gresham bakery refused to make a wedding cake for a same sex marriage.
It started on Jan. 17 when a mother and daughter showed up at Sweet Cakes by Melissa looking for the perfect wedding cake.
“My first question is what’s the wedding date,” said owner Aaron Klein. “My next question is bride and groom’s name … the girl giggled a little bit and said it’s two brides.”
Klein apologized to the women and told them he and his wife do not make cakes for same-sex marriages. Klein said the women were disgusted and walked out.
“I believe that marriage is a religious institution ordained by God,” said Klein. “A man should leave his mother and father and cling to his wife … that to me is the beginning of marriage.”
At the advice of their attorney, the women are not speaking to the media, but they have plenty of support. Numerous people have blasted the Klein’s on the internet.
What Klein wants to make clear is that he and his wife do not hate homosexuals.
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“They can buy my stuff,” said Klein. “I’ll sell them stuff … I’ll talk to them, it’s fine.”
What is not fine, according to Klein, is a marriage between people of the same sex. He will always stand by that conviction.
“I’d rather have my kids see their dad stand up for what he believes in then to see him bow down because one person complained.”
ORS 659A.403 is the law in question. In short, it prohibits discrimination in places of public accommodation. Klein and his wife have two weeks to respond to the Oregon Department of Justice’s inquiry into what happened.