I don’t own a bakery or anything. In fact I have such a hard time following recipes, my cakes never rise, and that would make for a pretty pathetic wedding cake. But for argument’s sake, let’s pretend I own a bakery – one that specializes in wedding cakes for that matter. There I stand: the rainbow flag-yielding, we-belong-to-each-other, love-sees-no-color baker in town. My store would be called, “Let them ALL Eat Cake”!
And one day, YOU walk through the door, asking for me to
bake a cake for your conservative, 1-man, 1-woman, only-definition-of-marriage-in-the-bible,
Christian wedding ceremony. Like most
situations in life, I try my hardest to put myself in the shoes of others, which
is precisely why you are here imagining this unlikely scenario with me. How would I feel? Would I not
want to bake you a cake knowing that you probably wouldn’t do the same for one
of my very best friends? Would I make a
big deal about it and use that opportunity to impart you with my version of my truth: That I don’t agree with your lifestyle and
life “choices”? That my commitment to
being an ally prevents me from condoning the marriages of people who fall in your
category? What would I be saying to the world
by baking this cake? That by virtue of this
baked good, I was in fact validating the sanctity of your relationship? Would I instead invite you to my home to share
the gospel of impartial love with you, hoping to help you see the light – and so
that you understood that I still loved people like you, but that my belief
system made me conscience-bound not to bake this cake?
Nah.
I’d bake you the best damn wedding cake on earth. No strings attached. I wouldn’t even make you promise to watch an
episode of Modern Family in exchange. I’d
fill it with raspberry jam, white chocolate, Nutella, whatever your heart
desired. I wouldn’t invite you to my
home for dinner though, because that would be creepy. Why, might you ask, would I want to bake you this
cake?
Because everyone deserves to eat cake on their wedding
day. Also, because given my interfaith, multicultural
background, if I only baked cakes for people who shared my exact beliefs, I’d probably
go bankrupt.
And because I believe that it’s not my place, as a simple
baker, to impose my judgement on who is or isn’t worthy of receiving a cake
from me. I’d be afraid to imagine a society where
businesses could deny cakes and you know other things like lung transplants and bus service, based on the personal religious beliefs
of the business owners.
Can you just imagine? Is
that an NRA membership card in your wallet?
NO CAKE FOR YOU! Keep on walking
Tea Party candidate. Don’t even think
about stopping, man yielding a confederate flag bumper sticker. Don’t understand misogyny or white privilege? Well then, you really don’t deserve my light
spongy butter cream goodness either. I imagine that these fictional customers would
probably believe in a few things that went against the core of my faith tenants
and convictions, but (honestly, I’ve pondered this) I wouldn’t consider my act
of baking them a wedding cake to be condoning… gun violence, income
inequality, discrimination, or violence against women.
I’d just be helping someone, who I know very little about,
celebrate a sentiment that should be bringing people together rather than further
dividing us. In a world full of divisive
religious and political ideology, I would never turn down the opportunity to
contribute to an act of LOVE, regardless of what card you are carrying in your
wallet or what bumper sticker you have on your car. Even if you wouldn't do the same for me.
Friends, I think there’s enough cake to go around, can't we ALL eat some?
