Indiana bakery denies wedding cake to same-sex couple despite public accommodation law

From the Facebook page of 111 Cakery in Indianapolis:

We have made it our commitment to treat every person that walks through the door with Respect & Kindness. It is important to know that we have never refused to do business with any person based on who they are or what they believe. As Christians we have a sincere love for people.

As artist we must find the inspiration to create something special for our clients. When asked to do a cake for an occasion or with a theme (alcohol explicit in nature) that is in opposition to our faith, that inspiration is not found. We feel that it is important for a paying customer to know when this is the case. Why would you want a cake that is less then inspired for your special event. That is why this week we told a man that requested a cake for a same sex ceremony that it was against our policy but we would be happy to help him with anything else. It was not that we wanted to deny them a cake it’s just tough to create something that goes against your beliefs. Was this the right thing to say? Maybe not but this phone call caused us to do a lot of soul searching because we want to be right with our God as well as respect others. We have not heard from this man but would welcome a chance to meet with him. We sincerely wish them the best.

Please know that there is zero hate here. We are not judging the lives of our clients. We are not trying to make a political statement or change someone’s mind. We respect the fact that everyone has different values and believes. Everyone is entitled to their opinion we would encourage you to share those in a respectful way. We have happily done cakes for gay people, as well as people with different believes. We are just a small family business trying to bring happiness with cake. You may criticize this response but realize it is sincere and from the heart not a letter drafted by an attorney. We thank our friends, customers and others in the community for your support. - The McGath Family

The comments to the post are overwhelmingly in support of the LGBT community.

While Indiana as a state does not have public accommodation protections for sexual orientation, the city of Indianapolis (where 111 Cakery is located), does have such protections. For the bakery to discriminate based on sexual orientation at it's present location would be against the law.

By the way, it should be noted that the bakery is apparently in or very near a primarily gay neighborhood.