So...note that Northern Ireland is one of the few places in Western Europe where gay marriage is not yet legal. Therefore, "Support Gay Marriage" is a political slogan supporting a political issue that has not yet been decided. The baker in question refused to decorate a cake with this political slogan, which he opposed. The judge said his refusal to post this slogan was discrimination against homosexuals, and therefore illegal. I'm quite convinced that the baker was probably indeed prejudiced against homosexuals, but still within his rights to refuse to produce a cake with a political slogan he opposed.

To rule that a merchant must produce merchandise promoting something he/she opposes, opens a whole can of worms. As I asked above, Would the same principle require me to make a cake praising neo-Nazis if a customer ordered it?

[for the benefit of those too dimwitted to understand, allow me to say that this is not an attempt to equate neo-Nazis with anything or anyone]

In the U.S., government authorities are generally required to allow demonstrations by anyone who behaves peaceably, no matter how repulsive the group's message might be. That's why we have had neo-Nazis marching through Jewish communities, distasteful though that may be. On the other hand, I do not believe that U.S. merchants are required to produce materials that are distasteful to them. To an American, to have a judge require a merchant to produce goods a merchant does not approve of, seems to be a violation of the merchant's freedom of speech.

-Joe-