Andrew Muir cuts a cake made by a different bakery than Asher's
Newtownabbey-based Asher's bakery has found itself at the centre of 'gay cake' row after refusing to bake a cake with a pro-gay marriage theme due to the company's Christian beliefs.
The cake was due to be the centrepiece at an anti-homophobia event held by former Lord Mayor of North Down Andrew Muir.
Councillor Muir, a member of the Alliance party, eventually cut a cake to mark an event he was hosting for International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia which another bakery stepped in to make.
Now Gareth Lee, a gay rights campaigner, has said that Asher's decision to refuse to bake the cake was discriminatory towards gay people.
Councillor Muir supported any motion to take legal action against Asher's.
He said: "I fully support the action taken against this bakery. Businesses should not be able to pick and choose who they serve.
"There would not be any debate if the cake had depicted an anti-racism or anti-ageism slogan, nor should it require intervention from the Equality Commission for this cake for Anti-Homophobia Day."
The cake, which included a picture of Bert and Ernie, had the slogan 'support gay marriage' written across it with the logo of the organisation Queerspace.
A spokesperson for Asher's Baking Company, Daniel McArthur, defended the bakery's Christian beliefs.
He said: "We run our business according to Christian values and beliefs, according to what the Bible teaches. It means for example that we don’t open on Sundays, that we trade openly and honestly with people.”