Christian bakery refuses to make pro-gay marriage Bert and Ernie cake

Christian bakery refuses to make pro-gay marriage Bert and Ernie cake
(Image credit: Matthew Simmons/Getty Images)

A Northern Ireland bakery has come under fire for refusing to bake a cake depicting Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie, saying the cake ran counter to its Christian faith. The cake would also have featured a slogan supporting gay marriage.

The Ashers Baking Company said in a statement the cake was "at odds with what the Bible teaches," and that it had refunded the prospective customer. However, the bakery could still face legal action for refusing to do the work. Northern Ireland's Equality Commission, acting on a complaint, is looking into whether the refusal amounts to unlawful discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.