A baker in Des Moines, Iowa has come under fire from LGBT activists — and is being applauded by the anti-gay folks — after refusing to bake a cake for a couple when she discovered they were lesbians shopping for a cake for their wedding.
Victoria Childress, owner of Victoria’s Cake Cottage told Fox News commentator Todd Starnes that she had already baked several cake samples for Trina Vodraska and Janelle Sievers when she asked one of the women if the other was her sister. When the woman said they were partners, not sisters, Childress said she cited her Christian faith in explaining why she would not be baking a wedding cake for them.
According to TheNewAmerican.com — which is obviously a right-wing kind of news site, considering how they put the word “wedding” in quotes in their headline — Vodraska and Sievers then went on the offensive, “alerting their homosexual activist network,” according to TheNewAmerican.com, adding that the activist network “quickly organized a boycott of Childress’ bsuiness.
TheNewAmerican.com also says Childress has been receiving all kinds of hateful letters and emails since news of her refusal went public.
According to a statement publicized by Des Moines TV station KCCI 8 — which TheNewAmerican.com said gave Vodraska and Sievers “a platform to voice their anger at being snubbed by Childress” — the couple said they went public with the dispute to raise awareness about the need for equality. The statement says, “It is not about cake or someone’s right to refuse service to a customer. We are grateful for the outpouring of support we have received and hope that by stepping forward we have prevented someone else from experiencing the same type of bigotry.”
But TheNewAmerican.com also reports that Vodraska and Sievers are said to be considering legal action against Childress.
For her part, Childress insists her refusal to bake a wedding cake for the two women is not about discrimination. She told Fox News, “It doesn’t have anything to do with them. It was about my convictions. They can get their cake anywhere.”
Childress also said she believes she is being targeted “because of my beliefs — my convictions to their lifestyle.”
OK, so here’s what I think about the whole thing:
Yes, Ms. Childress, your refusal to make a wedding cake for Trina Vodraska and Janelle Sievers had everything to do with them, because your “convictions” tell you that they are evil sinners who do not deserve the right to be married, and therefore do not deserve to have you bake them a wedding cake. Be honest enough to stand up and admit that rather than trying to pretend otherwise.
And to Ms. Vodraska and Ms. Sievers, first of all, congratulations on your pending nuptials. I hope you have a wonderful day. And while I have no problem with you spreading the word to other LGBT people that they need not bother going to Victoria’s Cake Cottage for their wedding cakes, let it go at that. Find some other bakery to make your cake; I bet there are tons of them out there who would love to do that for you.
There’s no need for any kind of lawsuit over this. Really. This is supposed to be a free country, and Ms. Childress really should be free to refuse service to you because of her religious beliefs about same-sex marriage. It’s like that popular cliche: “Don’t approve of gay marriage? Then don’t have one.”
Seriously, if we don’t want right-wing Christians forcing their religious beliefs on us, then we shouldn’t be trying to force our beliefs on them or try to make them abandon their convictions. I mean, would you really want her to bake a cake for you, knowing how she feels about your relationship?
Victoria Childress is simply marketing to the majority who believe that it’s ok to discriminate (based on her/their religious beliefs) against 2nd class citizens. Does she have a “No Gays Allowed” sign posted? Childress reminds me of that businessman down in Mason Texas who is represented in Washington by conservative Republican Senator John Cornyn who recently stated it would be too expensive to treat Gays and Lesbians equally!
Texas Gun Ad Under Fire for Disparaging Arabs, Muslims, and Liberals Crockett Keller takes heat for radio spot
https://www.adweek.com/adfreak/texas-gun-ad-under-fire-disparaging-arabs-muslims-and-liberals-136391
Very well said, Tammye!
While I have mixed feelings as to whether legal action against the baker would be constructive, this article misses a key point related to that question. In 2007 the Iowa General Assembly amended the Iowa Civil Rights Act to include homosexuals among the classes of people protected by anti-discrimination laws. It is, in fact, illegal in Iowa for businesses that sell goods to the general public to refuse service to customers based on their sexual orientation. So according to Iowa state law, the baker is no more free to refuse service to this lesbian couple than she would be to refuse service to a Jewish couple or an African-American couple. Is it really OK to allow a store owner to violate anti-discrimination laws like this? How would allowing store owners to ignore such laws in the past — e.g., for African-Americans — have impacted the advancement of their civil rights? In any case, keep in mind that the legal action being considered by the couple is probably not so much a lawsuit as it is filing a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. In considering whether or not that would be a constructive thing to do, keep in mind that the baker involved not only refused service to the couple … she apparently also broke the law in the process.
This is further evidence of what we all know “gay marriage” is about … forcing the filthy fag lifestyle on everyone else. What are we going to do when the liberal democrat activist judges decide that pedophilia is a “protected lifestyle” too? Willingly turn our kids over to the perverts? I’m with Victoria Childress.
Mary Waterton: Are you sure your last name isn’t really Phelps?
Mary you are the reason we have laws against discrimination. Thank you for allowing us to see your ugly feelings so that we can remember there are people like you out there that we need to protect ourselves from. I hope you find peace in your life one day so you no longer feel the need to be so hateful to others.
All Victoria Childresses are local! It would be interesting to know if Victoria faces discrimanation herself in her own home and her Church home.
As the author of this article says “this is supposed to be a free country, and Ms. Childress really should be free to refuse service to you because of her religious beliefs about same-sex marriage.” I totally respect Ms. Childress’ decision to honor her faith, her God, with her decision – however unpopular or un-fashionable it may be. It may cost her customers. But I respect that her priorities are correct – her faith in God is more important. Why should she be pressured to PARTICIPATE in a ceremony which is CLEARLY in opposition to what the Christian Bible teaches? Is it not enough that gay advocacy has IMPOSED a re-definition of marriage on our popular culture, our schools, etc? Now they want to strip us of our freedom to simply say ‘we respectfully disagree with your lifestyle choice.’
If this baker feels that anti-discrimination laws are optional, does she also feel that food safety laws are optional too?
let her run her business the way she wants. Just don’t patronize it. I don’t have a problem with that. I don’t agree with her politics, but that’s the sort of freedom we should have in the U.S.
@Jon and Chris — does that mean you think anti-discrimination laws should be struck down throughout the country?? Back to the good old days of “whites-only” and “no Jews” establishments?? Because that is a direct implication of the kind of freedom you are advocating.
Ms. Childress is possibly in violation of Chapter 46 of Dallas’ Fair Housing Code (https://www.dallascityhall.com/fair_housing/chapter46_unlawful.html), which prescribes fines for people discriminating against sexual orientation in public accommodations providing goods to the general public. (It only applies to businesses with over 15 employees, so Ms. Childress may be safe.) She is essentially hanging a “No Gays Allowed” sign on the door, which is in fact illegal in Dallas. If she does not want to serve gays she may certainly pack up and go somewhere where that is legally allowed.
There is no “legal action” needed against Ms. Childress beyond reporting her to the appropriate authorities (which I believe is the Dallas Fair Housing Office). To suggest that the couple should just ignore her brazenly illegal activities is ridiculous.
@Percy — I don’t believe that a baker in Des Moines, Iowa is subject to the city ordinances of Dallas, Texas. But as noted earlier, she is subject to the Iowa Civil Rights Act, which has similar prohibitions on refusal of service based on sexual orientation. (Regardless, it is good to know that such an ordinance exists in Dallas … I hadn’t known that before.)
Why would anyone want to support a bigoted business? Is it the only baker in town? I”m sure it’s not, and frankly, I’d rather know who’s business I’m supporting than to support someone who’s taking the profits from what I purchase there and funneling them into anti-gay politics. So, YES, let her discriminate. This isn’t like the 50s and 60s when folks can’t go to another business because there’s not one. Let people sink themselves with their politics. The thing about freedom is that you won’t always agree with everyone else’s view of it. Would you really rather NOT KNOW that someone is a bigot and just keep supporting them? seriously, if you like to support people that don’t support you in ignorance, go ahead. I’d rather be free to make an informed decision.
Vodraska and Sievers then went on the offensive, “alerting their homosexual activist network,” according to TheNewAmerican.com. Really? How is that different than Ms. Childress’s radical agenda? Discrimination is not a family value, nor is it protected by clutching one’s bible! WWJD? He’d let them eat cake!!!
The law has to have meaning, and it doesn’t have meaning if a bigot very publicly is allowed to illegally discriminate against lesbian customers with impunity. It’s as though you were saying that if a restaurant wanted to refuse to serve black people, decent human beings should not use available legal mechanisms for enforcing the anti-discrimination laws.
Ms Childress would have loved the discriminatory practices of Dallas officials at the State Fair of Texas Midway! Bible based discrimination, from the top down, is always so ugly to those born with a equality driven heart!
https://www.dallasobserver.com/2004-09-09/news/laff-in-the-dark/
@Dave – Ha ha, point taken, thanks for the correction. Pardon me while I smack myself in the forehead a few times. 😛
But yes, as you point out, Iowa has much the same laws. And indeed, the baker seems to have even less of a legal leg to stand on in a state in which same-sex marriages are legal. If she makes wedding cakes, it seems clear that she must make them for straights and gays alike.
Hey you hag, mary waterton and idiot jon first of all being gay is not at choice it is how you are born, quit living in the 1950’s and it is not a lifestyle it is a life period. What other quotes do you know from the book of Leviticus, come on tell me. If you had children and they disobeyed you did you stone them to death, well in the book of Leviticus it is your duty to do so.Do you wear clothes made of linen mixed with other clothing material, have you ever eaten seafood that had no scales, such as shrimp or lobster, or pork, if you did you’re sinners. In the book of Leviticus there is a section called the “holiness code” it was written by the Jews to keep them apart from their captors, the Babylonions, whom they were forced to live with. To keep them apart from their captors and for their survival in history they wrote the book of Leviticus with all the laws mentioned above. To say the least they were quite homophobic and also wrote that famous quotation about man sleeping with man, it is not the word of God, it is the word of ancient homophobic jews. And somehow these Hebrew scriptures made their way into the christian bible and later was called the word of God, when in reality it is not.
I agree with Victoria Childress. Its not discrimination to refuse service to any customer; its a right. If you refuse service because of your religious views that’s even a good thing.
I really hope the baker gets sued…all these religios nuts keep saying she has a right to discriminate against the gay couple…no, no she doesn’t…she broke the law and must pay dearly.
“Jack” is you last name by any chance “Ass,” for a total name of “Jack Ass”? You actually think it is a “good thing” for service to be refused because of “religious views”? Would have joined the German Christians on Kristalnacht, rampaging against Jewish businesses? Did you know that the Wehrmacht uniform belt buckle read “Gott mit uns,” God is with us? Did you know that at the time the Vatican signed the Reichskonkordat treaty with Hitler 1) Jews were already banned from the professions in German and 2) the treaty swore German Catholic Bishops’ loyalty to the Nazi party? The Church at that time also was still teaching that all Jews throughout time had to pay for the death of Jesus. At the time in Germany, it was a Christian, specifically religious view that refusing service to Jews was a good thing. You appear to be waxing nostalgic for such things.
“I do not feel challenged by organized religion. In some cases it is helpful, and often is harmful.” Morris Kight
Sure glad to read about the numerous helpful bakers near Victoria’s Cake Cottage who practice equality over discrimination and are standing up and speaking out!
Its sickening to see such hate. This woman is only trying to get fame by bad mouthing the lgbt, community! We all have rights as a human beings and if a woman& woman and man& man wanna get married and go cake tasting thats there right. this woman is full of hate and i would not be surprised if she had a sign that said…..”no shirt no shoes no gays”!
sadly enough, about 90% of Iowa will side with the baker, and the more they’re pushed, the more they’ll come out on top – and thats from 26 yrs of living in or around Iowa tells me. To show exactly how f*cked up they are – if you’re married in iowa, good luck getting an easy divorce…especially if you’re gay…again, experience talking – myself, as well as several friends, and family members ALL dragged through the mud, and our “values” questioned – not to mention, if one of the spouse’s is against the divorce…in this case, my ex wife, they can force you into counseling…even worse, the judge can decide to make you continue past the law required 1 therapy visit….with he/she picking the therapist…mine was quite lovely…too bad his “conversion therapy” was of no use….all that being said, when it became legal for gays to wed in iowa…I thought for sure the world was ending, considering it takes an act of god for straight couples to get divorced, I hate to think what they make gay couples go through…afterall…it only took me 2 years to get mine finalized. I wish this couple luck…and I hope the bakers business goes south…just sayin.