“Melissa and Aaron Klein, the bakers at the center of a years-long battle centered on their refusal to make a same-sex wedding cake, are fundraising to open a new shop where they hope to ‘show God’s goodness to everyone.’ The Kleins, who shuttered their Oregon-based shop Sweet Cakes by Melissa amid outrage after declining in 2013 to make the cake for a lesbian couple, told CBN’s Faithwire about their aspirations. The baker and her husband, Aaron, have made national and international headlines over the past nine years as they have refused to back down while navigating the ebbs and flows of their legal battle. The Kleins have specifically challenged government mandates that initially landed them with a $135,000 fine from the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries for their gay cake refusal. Their problems began in 2013, when they declined to bake the cake for a lesbian couple, citing the bakers’ Christian stance on same-sex nuptials. After a complaint was waged by the same-sex couple, the state stepped in and awarded the massive sum of money, claiming the Kleins were guilty of discrimination. But Klein has explained over the years she had no problem serving the couple; she simply did not want to participate in the wedding. But now the Kleins, who have moved to Montana since their case began nearly a decade ago, are hoping for a new beginning–and for new memories to be made. As their attorneys continue the legal fight, the family is looking to raise $50,000 [through cookie sales and FreeFunder] to open up another shop. It’s unclear where the Sweet Cakes case will go next, though attorneys for the Kleins expect to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case before the end of this summer. This move comes after the Oregon Court of Appeals found in January 2022 that the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment by not acting with neutrality. But, while the $135,000 fine was struck down, the case was sent back to the same commission for review.”
“Christian Baker Fined,” CBN News, June 23, 2022