ICC Note: The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries has found that Aaron and Melissa Klein, the Christian owners of a bakery in Portland, are guilty of violating the civil rights of a lesbian couple after refusing to bake a cake for their wedding. The Klein’s refused on the basis of their Christian faith and now face possible fines. The Klein’s have already moved their bakery out of its location and into their home after pro-LGBT groups targeted the business and its supplies with threats and intimidation. The Klein’s children were also issued death threats at school.  
1/21/2014 United States (Fox News) – The owners of a Christian bakery who refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple are facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines after they were found guilty of violating the couple’s civil rights.
The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries said they found “substantial evidence” that Sweet Cakes by Melissa discriminated against the lesbian couple and violated the Oregon Equality Act of 2007, a law that protects the rights of the LGBT community.
Last year, the bakery’s owners refused to make a wedding cake for Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman, of Portland, citing their Christian beliefs. The couple then filed a complaint with the state.
Aaron Klein told me there will be no reconciliation and there will be no rehabilitation.
“The investigation concludes that the bakery is not a religious institution under the law and that the business’ policy of refusing to make same-sex wedding cakes represents unlawful discrimination based on sexual orientation,” said Charlie Burr, a spokesman for the Bureau of Labor and Industries.
The backlash against Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of the bakery, was severe. Gay rights groups launched protests and pickets outside the family’s store. They threatened wedding vendors who did business with the bakery. And, Klein told me, the family’s children were the targets of death threats.
The family eventually had to close their retail shop and now operate the bakery out of their home.
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