Masterpiece Cakeshop Now Being Sued for Transphobia

Jack Phillips, the baker who the US Supreme Court sided with in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, proved this week that it's not fair to just call him homophobic. He's also transphobic.

According to USA Today, a transgender woman named Autumn Scardina says Phillips refused to make her a cake celebrating her transition in June 2017, a year before the SCOTUS ruling. She requested a pink birthday cake with blue icing. According to The Gazette, Scardina filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, claiming that a female employee of the bakery said they would not make the cake because they could not affirm gender transitioning, because of religious reasons.

This June, the SCOTUS narrowly ruled in Phillips' favor after he refused to make a wedding cake for gay couple, Charlie Craig and David Mullins, in 2012. The state's Civil Rights Commission, which sued Phillips, claimed his refusal was against the law. The court ruled that the Commission's argument was "inconsistent with the state's obligation of religious neutrality." However, the narrow ruling applied only to this case.

Since there's no mention of trans people in the Bible, we're curious how Phillips will weasel his way out of this one. But as is on brand with the religious right, when in doubt, deflect. The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal organization that defended Phillips in the SCOTUS case, is suing Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper's administration, the Division of Civil Rights, and the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, arguing that the whole world is out to get Phillips.

"Colorado has been on a crusade to crush plaintiff Jack Phillips because its officials despise what he believes and how he practices his faith," the lawsuit states. "All people -- no matter who they are, what they believe, or what protected characteristics they have -- are welcome in Phillips' shop and may purchase anything available for sale. But as a devout man of faith, Phillips cannot create custom cakes that express messages or celebrate events in conflict with his religious beliefs."

Ah yes, they're citing the Bible verse that said, "Thou shall only serve LGBTQ+ people when it doesn't require commissioned work." I believe it's Hypocrisy 3:10.

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