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Member Since: 5/15/2010
Posts: 15,858
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Patrick Stewart preaches Gospel bout gay cake controversy!
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X-Men star and millennial icon Patrick Stewart spoke out recently about gay rights and free speech, and what he had to say was more than a little surprising.
In an interview with BBC's Newsnight, Stewart spoke candidly about his view of a Christian bakery in Britain that had recently been fined for refusing to bake a cake supporting marriage equality.
Unlike similar cases in the United States, the baker in question said he had only objected to the message on the cake and the refusal had nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the customer or any specific event they were celebrating. Stewart, for his part, was sympathetic.
"I found myself on the side of the bakers," he told interviewer Evan Davis.
The story: The latest brouhaha unfolded over the case of Gareth Lee, a gay rights activist in the British territory of Northern Ireland. When Lee asked the Ashers Baking Co. to produce a cake with the the words "support gay marriage" and a photo of Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie, the proprietors refused, citing their religious objection to the message.
"I expressed disbelief. I couldn't believe it was happening. This is Northern Ireland. This shouldn't happen," Lee told the BBC at the time. "It was just an everyday transaction."
After a lawsuit brought in part by the nation's Equality Commission, the courts sided with Lee and the bakery was forced to pay out roughly the equivalent $760 for unlawful discrimination.
Stewart is known to have a sterling record supporting LGBT equality, and the bromance with his openly gay X-Men arch-rival Ian McKellen has been well-documented on the star's Twitter feed. As a result, his comments merit serious consideration.
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http://m.mic.com/articles/120242/pat...ason-you-think
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Originally posted by Professor X ha FB account
As part of my advocacy for Amnesty International, I gave an interview on a number of subjects related to human rights, civil rights and freedom of speech. During the interview, I was asked about the Irish bakers who refused to put a message on a cake which supported marriage equality, because of their beliefs. In my view, this particular matter was not about discrimination, but rather personal freedoms and what constitutes them, including the freedom to object. Both equality and freedom of speech are fundamental rights— and this case underscores how we need to ensure one isn’t compromised in the pursuit of the other. I know many disagree with my sentiments, including the courts. I respect and understand their position, especially in this important climate where the tides of prejudices and inequality are (thankfully) turning. What I cannot respect is that some have conflated my position on this single matter to assume I’m anti-equality or that I share the personal beliefs of the bakers. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could be further from the truth. I have long championed the rights of the LGBT community, because equality should not only be, as the people of Ireland powerfully showed the world, universally embraced, but treasured.
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Personally that gay plaintiff was overacting. Plus that case could open a can of worms like an anti-gay organization asking a bakery to bake a cake with anti-gay messages too which would over-complicate things. Professor X stays flawless with ha words and wisdom. 
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Gives me hope that Fassby is one too. 