A gay couple have taken to social media to express their disappointment after they say a Warkworth baker refused to make a cake for their wedding.
Moe Barr and Sasha Patrick are Australian but as Australia hadn’t legalised same-sex marriage when they got engaged, they had planned their wedding in Waipu in Northland at the start of next year.
However, when they approached Warkworth cakemaker Kath’s Devine Cakes, ‘Kath’ refused their order in an email, saying that while the New Zealand government had legalised same-sex marriage, it was not something she agreed with.
"I do not wish to offend either of you and I thank you for letting me know that it is a same-sex wedding," the email said. "Even though as individuals you are both fabulous and amazing people, I must follow the integrity of my heart and beliefs. Our government has legalised same sex marriages, but it is not my belief that it is correct, therefore I will not support it and cannot make your wedding cake for you."
"We were really surprised to get that email," Patrick said. "We've been really open about the fact that it's a same-sex wedding and had absolutely no problems with any of the other vendors. You just don't expect to get a response like that these days."
The Facebook page for Kath’s Devine Cakes has now come under fire from social media users criticising Kath for outdated and bigoted views. Kath’s Devine Cakes would be breaching section 21 of the Human Rights Act 1993, which outlaws discrimination against someone on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. There are exemptions to this law, but they are not clear.
The case echoes one from the US which was recently settled by the Supreme Court. Just last month the US Supreme Court sided with a baker who refused to make a cake for a gay couple. However, despite protecting the baker’s right to serve whomever he chooses, the justices avoided a wider ruling on religious exemptions for businesses.
