Supreme Court gives victory to baker who refused to make cake for gay wedding

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The opinion did not address the larger question of whether businesses can refuse to serve gay and lesbian customers.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court gave a boost to advocates of religious freedom Monday, ruling that a Colorado baker cannot be forced to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, in a case that involved marriage equality and protection from discrimination.

But the opinion was a very narrow one, applying to the specific facts of this case only. It gave no hint as to how the court might decide future cases involving florists, bakers, photographers and other business owners who have cited religious and free-speech objections when refusing to serve gay and lesbian customers in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2015 same-sex marriage decision.

In a 7-2 decision, the court said legal proceedings in Colorado showed a hostility to the baker's religious views. The ruling was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage decision.

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The decision was a victory for Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cake in Denver, who said his cakes are works of art and requiring him to bake them for same-sex weddings would force him to express a view that violated his religious beliefs. He runs his business guided by religious principles, closing on Sunday and refusing to make cakes containing alcohol or celebrating Halloween

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