Sweet Cakes By Melissa, Bakery That Denied Lesbian Couple A Wedding Cake, Sees Business Boom

Business Is Booming At Oregon Bakery That Denied Lesbian Couple A Wedding Cake

Business is reportedly booming at the Oregon-based bakery that sparked a national conversation after its owners turned away a lesbian bride-to-be who hoped to buy a cake for her forthcoming wedding.

As KATU is reporting, Sweet Cakes by Melissa owner Aaron Klein is standing by his decision to turn away the same-sex couple, saying he's received "lots of support" in the days since the case made headlines around the country.

The bakery is reportedly the subject of an ongoing investigation by the state's Oregon Attorney General's civil enforcement officers, as the Oregon Equality Act of 2007 prohibits discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, according to the report.

A Feb. 9 protest staged by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocates did little to deter customers, and the owners say they were sold out of cupcakes.

"If he believes in God and he full heartedly does not believe in same-sex marriage then he shouldn't have to bake a cake for them," one supporter told KMVT. "He should be able to freely deny them without all this backlash."

Klein, who owns the bakery with his wife Melissa, told NBC he was simply living in accordance with his religious beliefs by rejecting the lesbian couple's request. Furthermore, he believes his decision to deny the couple service is protected by his Constitutional right to practice his religion as he sees fit.

"I think [the state labor commissioner] is going to have decide what's more important: The Oregon State Constitution, or the statute that was passed in 2007," Klein now says. "They dropped the ball by not putting in any exemption for religious beliefs."

Meanwhile, there is a spot of good news for the rejected couple, who have been identified in the media only as Laurel Bowman of Portland, Ore. and her fiancée. The pair will accept "Ace of Cakes" star Duff Goldman's offer of a free cake.

Though Bowman had previously purchased a proper wedding cake from local baker Laura Widener, Goldman will prep a second "bride's cake" in the style of a traditional groom's cake for the pair, according to The Oregonian.

The executive chef of the Baltimore-based Charm City Cakes first reached out to the couple in an appearance on HuffPost Live. "For a cake decorator to really feel like he really needed to take a stand…it just makes absolutely no sense," he said at the time. "It’s petty, it’s small…this man has wrapped up his hatred in the cloak of religion.”

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