The Wedding Cake Norms

By Brittany Lewin, Manitowoc

The Supreme Court Case Number 23-002 is about a homosexual couple who went to a cake shop to get a wedding cake. When they asked for one, the baker denied them and told them he uses his cakes to express himself, and it would be against his religion to make a “same-sex” cake. Instead, he would offer him anything else, like other types of cakes, cookies, or muffins, as long as it wasn’t a wedding cake. If the couple was straight, he would have given it to them because being straight is not against ANY religion, as it is the stereotypical standard

The Wisconsin Youth in Government Chief Justice, Owen Hall, sided with the appellant. He said that the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop did a good job at explaining that his cakes are a way to express himself. Another thing the appellant said was that it’s his First Amendment right to deny a cake to the couple because it is against his religion. There was nothing that said that he himself was against it, it is just that because of his  religion, he does not want to endorse the marriage of two males. 

Another delegate, Joshua Hartlep, agreed on behalf of the respondents. He says that the appellant did not establish how it was an extension of himself. But either way, the owner of Masterpiece Cake shop is running an objective business, and it does not fall under his free speech. He is required by the WPAL law to give full and equal service to everybody, regardless of their sexuality, gender, or other identities. He must give full service and not discriminate against anyone.