Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Another Anti-LGBT Bakery :::sigh:::

We’ve all heard the stories of the bakery owners who refuse to bake cakes for same-sex weddings even though they own and operate business open to the public. They say they have a right to refuse because, again, they say, the Baby Jeebus doesn’t think The Gays deserve cake; like maybe Jeebus wants us to only have pies?

But I digress.

Now comes the story of Sarah — who asked that her last name not be used — an openly gay woman who lives in Washington, D.C.

Sarah placed an order for a cake at an Arlington, Virginia bakery as a surprise for her partner Lindsey on their anniversary.  She asked for a carrot cake — apparently lesbians like carrot cake … who knew? — based on a design she saw in the bakery's catalog that featured icing balloons on the cake. Sarah asked that, instead of the balloons, the cake simply have the words "Happy Anniversary Lindsey! Love, Sarah."

When Sarah picked up the cake, she found that it had the balloons on it, and also contained, in sloppily, nearly illiterate, possibly heterosexual bigot handwriting, the words, "Lesbian Anniv. No Ballons."

And it was a chocolate cake.

Upon seeing the offensive dessert, Sarah asked to speak with a manager, who apparently apologized, but only for the sloppy text, not the offensive words, and not for giving Sarah the wrong flavor cake.

He also refunded her money and offered a "less sloppy" cake but he refused to address the cake's messaging, even when Sarah pressed the issue. See, it’s for lesbians, and if it says something offensive, oh well; and if it’s the wrong flavor cake, oh well. But, hey, sorry for the sloppy handwriting.

Sarah declined the owner's offer for a new cake. 
"What baker would sell something so messy and unprofessional? When it occurred to me that this was probably an intentional insult to my relationship, I was appalled at the audacity of the cake decorator or baker or whoever was responsible. It's disappointing to know that when I want to honor the most important person in my life, I have to worry about some intolerant person ruining the surprise I had planned." — Sarah
Seriously. Is this what happens when a gay person orders a cake? I mean, maybe we should all applaud the bakery for at least attempting to offer services, and not refuse Sarah outright. And maybe we can lay the blame at whomever iced the cake, because they probably wrote was written on the order sheet; I mean, it was a lesbian anniversary cake and Sarah asked for no balloons.

"Lesbian Anniv. No Ballons."

It’s a shame Sarah didn’t get the cake in DC, where she lives, because the District has a comprehensive antidiscrimination policy in place that prohibits discriminatory treatment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Not so in Virginia, where ugly homophobic cakes are for sale.

5 comments:

  1. Bob,

    Homophobia is rampant everywhere, even in states and cities where there are anti-discrimination laws specifically against homophobic acts like this. When I worked in Philadelphia I brought suit against the bank where I worked because they were discriminating against me because I was openly gay. Philadelphia at that time (and I believe still does) has a specific anti-gay discrimination law. After much money spent on a gay lawyer and a hearing, my case was dismissed outright. Apparently I didn't contribute enough money (I contributed none when asked) to the local ACLU.
    No pun intended but the whole process left a bad taste in my mouth because I had a very obvious case but I wasn't and still am not in the local gay clique and thus not a beneficiary of the so-called protections afforded gays against discrimination. The only way discriminatory acts like the one you described in your blog will disappear is for the homophobes to die off. They will never change as long as they are alive. As far as those places with specific "protections" against gay discrimination, it's still all political. Same here in LSD (Lower Slower Delaware.) I just try and stay out of everyone's way and live my life. If I can grab a little bit of happiness along the way, all the better but I'll never depend on the official gays because they're in on the game too. It's all about the money and who knows who.

    Ron

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  2. Does he ask if a bride and groom are virgins when he does a wedding cake?

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  3. dis shit be gettin' old, man. I second ron; homophobes die off, to be replaced by my niece's generation, who live and let live.

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  4. Aren't bakeries suppose to be sweet? This one is just bitter as hell.

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  5. Even cakes hate?

    And over here the defeat of 'Christian' bigotry by law - hooray! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25119158

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