The Supreme court's 'Masterpiece Cakeshop' Case: why it's more than a cake
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the bakery that turned away a gay couple and it is about much more than a wedding cake.
On June 4th, 2018, The Supreme Court ruled in favor of "Masterpiece Cakeshop." The Colorado bakery had refused to bake a cake for a same-sex couple's wedding.
Supreme Court cases like this one often set the precedent for what is acceptable under the legal system. For example, Brown V The Board of Education was the case that began to desegregate schools, because the Supreme Court declared that it was unconstitutional to separate school children based on race. It was after this court case that the nation began to desegregate schools across the country.
In this particular case, The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the baker, therefore, declaring that turning away the same-sex couple on religious grounds was perfectly legal.
The Judge claimed that the original investigation which the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had conducted, had an anti-religious standpoint. He said that the case would not affect future rulings. Despite that claim, the aftershock of this ruling is already visible. Only a few days later, the owner of a hardware store in Tennessee placed a sign on the front of his window celebrating the ruling.
It reads,"No Gays Allowed." A sign reading "No Gays Allowed" in the front of a store shop in 2018.
But it most certainly reads like something that would have been placed on the front of a window during the 50's, when racial segregation was still being enforced.
This sign is why it is not just about the cake. It is not merely about a baker refusing to make a couple a cake for their wedding. It is an intentional act of discrimination against a group of people. This ruling also came in the month of June, which is also Pride Month. The Trump administration has blatantly ignored Pride month for the second year in a row.
This case is about human rights and the rights of a same-sex couple to walk into any store in the country and be treated the same way a heterosexual couple would be. While the Judge has claimed that this case will not affect any future lawmaking cases, it clearly has already affected the behavior of at least one store owner. And that is already too many.