Denver, CO, April 3, 2015…The Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Region applauded the Colorado Civil Rights Division’s determination that Azucar Bakery in Denver did not discriminate when it declined to write an offensive, anti-gay message on a Bible-shaped cake for a customer.

 

William Jack, a Castle Rock resident, walked into Azucar Bakery last March and asked for two cakes, both in the shape of Bibles. According to the final determination issued by the Colorado Civil Rights Division on March 25, 2015, Jack requested that one of the cakes include an image of two groomsmen holding hands in front of a cross with a red “X” over the image. He asked that the words “God hates sin. Psalm 45:7” and “Homosexuality is a detestable sin. Leviticus 18:2” be written on the same cake. Marjorie Silva, owner of the bakery, declined to write the words on the cake because she felt they were discriminatory and said that her bakery does not discriminate.

 

Scott L. Levin, Mountain States Regional Director, issued the following statement:

The Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Region welcomes the determination of the Colorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD) that there is no probable cause to support a finding that Azucar Bakery treated unequally or denied goods or services to a customer based on the customer’s creed, when the bakery declined to include derogatory language and an image of a same-sex couple on a cake. ADL supports our state’s anti-discrimination laws that promote an inclusive and respectful Colorado.

 

The Colorado Civil Rights Division’s determination may be appealed and/or a civil action may be filed in a District Court in Colorado.