Bakery Denies Same-Sex Couple Wedding Cake

Bakery Denies Same-Sex Couple Wedding Cake

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2013/02/bakery-denies-same-sex-couple-wedding-cake/

A bakery in Oregon refused making a cake for a same-sex wedding because it would be against the religious relief of the owner of the bakery. Discrimination based on the sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited. However, at the same time, the freedom of religion is guaranteed to every citizen as a fundamental human right. The owner of the bakery insists his right to practice his religion. Though the article does not mention the owner’s religion, there are a lot of religions which take homosexuality as guilt. Some sects of Christianity, for example, oppose the homosexuality while what they see as a sin is different from same-sex relationship itself to the sexual act between same-sex members. The idea is that sexual practice lacking the potential productivity can be regarded as a sex for pleasure, and it is against the principle with which seeking pleasure is not good things. I think this article can open up the complicated issue between the sexual orientation and religion, and it is related to the politics about same-sex marriage and domestic partnership statuses in the States.

Reading this article, I realized that heteronormativity in our society is shaped both by physical and non-physical elements and even if we continue to work hard to eliminate unequal political and economical systems, it would be nearly impossible to eliminate the discrimination completely unless we can exclude the inequality in abstract notions like religions. In the society I belong to, heterosexuality is the normal and it makes sense in terms of unbalanced power relationship between men and women in the present condition of our society. It is a normal case that a man supports the family economically and the wife satisfies the domestic and emotional needs of the man. In a sense, getting married to men can be seen as economical stability for women will live their married lives relying on their husbands’ income. I believe this economical inequality can be eliminated by providing support for women to get engaged in higher education or high-waged jobs, and improving women’s social position in the society. However, gender discrimination based on the religions would be far more difficult to be denied because it is non-physical and conceptual thing which can be rooted deeply in the people’s belief system. And religious belief is usually taken as absolute truth and it is difficult to get rid of it from the strong believers. As the case of the baker in Oregon, religious belief can have power more than any other rationality.

Religions play significant role in socialization process and shaping one’s social identity. I understand that belong to the religion and believing in its principles are totally fine and it should be allowed to every one as a fundamental human right but in terms of a inequality based of gender or race, we should be cautious about its rationality and justice.