UK Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken about equality after being questioned about a UK-based baker who refused a ‘gay-marriage’ cake order based on their ethos.
During Prime Minister’s Question Time on Wednesday, David Cameron was asked by DUP MP Gregory Campbell, whether the news about the Northern Ireland bakery which refused to make a cake which featured a pro-gay marriage slogan was “an oppressive threat to religious freedom”.
The East Londonderry MP said those ‘freedoms’ should be protected by a conscience clause, which top UK Judge Baroness Hale called for earlier in the year. The clause would suggest that religious beliefs could be protected over discrimination against minority groups.
The Prime Minister, although unaware of the case in hand said,
‘I think that a commitment to equality – whether we are talking about racial equality, equality between those of different sexes, equality in terms of people who have disabilities, or, indeed, tolerance of and equality for people with different sexualities – is a very important part of being British.’
Ashers Bakery Co. business owners who refused an order from Queerspace, which was in support of same-sex marriage, could now face legal proceedings by the Equality Commision if it doesn’t ‘recompense the customer’.
Although same-sex marriage is legal in England & Wales, Northern Ireland is yet to change the law with regards to marriage. In April a same-sex marriage motion was defeated in NI.
The Bakery is unapologetic when it comes to their discrimination saying, ‘Although we have found this experience certainly unsettling and disruptive to our day-to-day business, we are certainly convinced that we have made the right decision.
‘We do continue to take the stand and stance that we do take.’
