An Oregon lesbian couple who were
denied a wedding cake have accepted celebrity pastry chef Duff
Goldman's offer to make a cake for them.
Goldman, who appears on cabler Food
Network's Ace of Cakes, jumped in after hearing that Aaron
Klein, the owner of Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Gresham, declined to
make a cake for the women because he and his wife believe such unions
violate their religious beliefs.
Goldman, the 38-year-old executive chef
of the Baltimore-based Charm City Cakes shop which is featured on Ace
of Cakes, offered to bake and transport a wedding cake for the
women free of charge.
“I said, 'Hey I can fix this problem.
Somebody was a jerk to them and I can bake them a cake. That's what
I can do,'” Goldman told ABCNews.com.
“It involves cake, it involves love, marriage, all things I'm a
big fan of.”
In a statement released through their
lawyer, the women, who remain anonymous, said they were grateful for
the “outpouring of support.”
“We are especially thankful that
LGBT-supportive companies have graciously offered their services to
make our special day perfect,” they said.
The Oregon Department of Justice is
investigating the allegation that the Kleins violated a state law which
prohibits discrimination in places of public accommodation.