SCOTUS hears case of Colorado cake baker’s refusal to bake same-sex couple’s wedding cake

The Supreme Court of the United States is tackling a clash between religious freedom and LGBTQ rights.

On Tuesday morning, the nine justices heard the case of Masterpiece Cake Shop Limited v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.

The high profile Colorado case dates back to 2012, when a Colorado bake shop owner refused to make a wedding cake for a same sex couple.

The ruling in that case is still to be decided in the coming months.

The question is whether the first amendment protects baker from creating a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.
This all started back in 2012, when David Mullins and Charlie Craig went to Masterpiece Cakeshop in the Denver area. That’s when the bakery’s owner Jack Phillips, told the couple that he did not make cakes for same-sex weddings due to his religious beliefs.

The next year, a lawsuit came up that decided Phillips had violated a Colorado Law which prohibits businesses from refusing service due to a person’s sexual orientation.

After appeals, the Colorado Supreme Court eventually denied to hear the case last year, but a final appeal brought it to the federal level.

After the hearing both the baker, and the couple spoke about how passionate they still are about the case .

” This is about real pain felt by real people and things that are suffered everyday by LGBT people across this country , ” said Craig.

“It’s hard to believe that the government is forcing me to choose between providing for my family and my employees and violating my relationship with God , ” said Phillips.

It is hard to say which way the decision may go, as it appeared the justices were sharply divided during the hearing.

Right now, Justice Anthony Kennedy is expected to be the deciding vote. We The ruling in the case may not come down until June.