On Friday, Kern County Judge Eric Bradshaw, (same county Qevin McQarthy hails from), ruled that the owner of Tastries Bakery, Cathy Miller, can not be forced to bake wedding cakes for same-sex couples because “she acted lawfully while upholding her beliefs about what the Bible teaches regarding marriage.”
California’s Department of Fair Housing and Employment (DFHE) filed suit against Miller arguing she intentionally discriminated against the couple in violation of California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act.
Miller’s pro-bono attorneys from the conservative Thomas More Society argued that her right to free speech and free expression of religion trumped the argument that she violated the anti-discrimination law.
After the ruling, Miller offered the following statement:
“I’m hoping that in our community we can grow together. And we should understand that we shouldn’t push any agenda against anyone else.”
A representative from DFHE has no clue what the agency plans to do next. The couple, Eileen and Mireya Rodriguez-Del Rio, plan to appeal the judge’s ruling.
“Of course we’re disappointed, but not surprised,” Eileen told the newspaper. “We anticipate that our appeal will have a different result.”
A recent ruling from the US Extreme Court gave a baker in Colorado, Jack Phillips, a partial victory after he refused to make a gay couple’s wedding cake based on his religious beliefs a decade ago.
