U.S. court upholds hefty fine against bakers who refused to make cake for lesbian couple

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Oregon Court of Appeals upheld a decision Thursday to order bakery owners to pay 135,000 U.S. dollars in fine to a lesbian couple whom they had refused to serve in the northwestern U.S. state of Oregon, local media reported.

The owners of a Gresham bakery, Aaron Klein and his wife Melissa, refused to bake a cake for the same-sex couple, Rachel Bowman-Cryer and her wife Laurel in February 2013.

A judge in Oregon ruled that Sweet Cakes by Melissa unlawfully discriminated against the lesbian couple by refusing to render service for their wedding.

The bakery owners were ordered to pay a combined 135,000 dollars for emotional damages to the victims.

"This case is not about a wedding cake or a marriage. It is about a business's refusal to serve someone because of their sexual orientation. Under Oregon law, that is illegal," the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries said in a final order in 2015.

Under the Oregon Equality Act of 2007, businesses cannot discriminate or refuse service based on sexual orientation, race, disability, age, or religion. Enditem