Supreme Court gay wedding hearing would have ramifications in the Northwest

A Colorado case heading to the United States Supreme Court would likely have ramifications that echo throughout the Northwest.

The case of Masterpiece Cakeshop vs. Colorado involves a baker who refused to make a wedding cake for David Mullins and Charlie Craig in 2012. The baker, Jack Phillips, claimed his religion did not favor gay marriage. His arguments lost in Colorado courts, but will now move on to the Supreme Court.

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“The Supreme Court has turned down this very same case,” KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross told The Ron and Don Show. “The fact they are accepting it means that someone on the court finds this interesting enough to change the status quo.”

In Oregon, Sweet Cakes by Melissa has faced the court over their refusal to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple. Florist Barronelle Stutzman of Richland’s Arlene’s Flowers faced a lawsuit when she refused to serve gay customers for their wedding. According to Washington state law, businesses that are open to the public cannot refuse service to customers based on sexual orientation. Some argue that this crosses a line for others’ religious freedom.

With the Colorado case heading to the Supreme Court over similar religious and free-speech arguments, many are watching to see if the Northwest cases could turn the other way.

“It would affect the same types of cases we had with the flower shop and the one Oregon bakery involved with this,” Ross said.

Ron Upshaw, however, noted that Ross himself is a man of faith and wondered how he thought of the religious arguments that business owners often cite.

“I can’t imagine the Supreme Being that I believe in sending anybody to hell because they sold a cake to a gay guy or even a drag queen,” Ross said. “I don’t see God doing that.”

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