BERT & ERNIE

Irish Man Wins Gay Cake Lawsuit

Denied by Christian bakery.

A man in Northern Ireland who was refused a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan by a Christian bakery has won a landmark lawsuit against the establishment. A judge found that by denying Gareth Lee a cake featuring Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie and the slogan “Support Gay Marriage,” Ashers bakery in Belfast discriminated against him on the basis of sexual orientation. “This is direct discrimination for which there is no justification,” Judge Isobel Brownlie ruled. “The defendants are not a religious organization. They conduct a business for profit. I believe the defendants did have the knowledge that the plaintiff was gay.” Lee will get €500 in damages.