Cathy Miller, who declined to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple’s ceremony in 2017, won in court this month after years of litigation.
Miller, who owns Tastries Bakery, was represented by the Thomas More Society in the discrimination case. She cited her religious beliefs for the refusal to make the lesbian wedding cake.
Special counsel Charles LiMandri said “We applaud the court for this decision. The freedom to practice one’s religion is enshrined in the First Amendment, and the United States Supreme Court has long upheld the freedom of artistic expression.”
Miller holds the Christian belief that marriage is a sacrosanct institution between one man and one woman. She directed the couple to another bakery that would fulfill their request, but was still met with a litany of lawsuits.
Judge Eric Bradshaw of the Superior Court of California said Miller “did not violate a law that protects consumers from discrimination by businesses on the basis of race, ethnicity or religion” – the argument presented by the plaintiffs in the case.
Another one of Miller’s lawyers, Paul Jonna, said it was ironic “that a law intended to protect individuals from religious discrimination was used to discriminate against Cathy for her religious beliefs.”
Miller said – “Here at Tastries, we love everyone. My husband and I are Christians, and we know that God created everyone, and He created everyone equal, so it’s not that we don’t like people of certain groups, there are just certain things that violate my conscience.”