facebook pixel
New Ideal - Reason | Individualism | Capitalism
Colorful slice of wedding cake.
Anna_Pustynnikova / Shutterstock

Slicing Into the Gay Wedding Cake Case

When a Christian baker in Denver refused to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple, he saw it as an exercise of his religious freedom. They saw it as a violation of their civil rights. Watch as ARI experts unpack the crucial legal and philosophical issues in this Supreme Court case (Masterpiece Cakeshop).

Share this article:

In 2012, a Christian baker in Denver refused to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple. He saw it as an exercise of his religious freedom. They saw it as a violation of their civil rights.

The couple filed a complaint under Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws. Now the case is before the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard arguments on December 5, 2017.

ARI’s Onkar Ghate, Steve Simpson, and Elan Journo unpack the crucial legal and philosophical issues of this fascinating case. Among other questions they cover:

  • Is this a free speech case, a religious liberties case, or something else?
  • Should businesses have the right to refuse service to those with whom they disagree?
  • What does intellectual freedom require and why is it important?
  • What’s the worst violation of intellectual freedom in America today?
  • Why are conflicts like this one inevitable today?

The case will be decided by the end of June. Watch this video today to find out what’s really at stake in this important case. (This discussion is also available on SoundCloud.)

Other Resources:

Racism” by Ayn Rand

Thought Control” by Onkar Ghate

Free Speech on Campus” by Onkar Ghate

How can I help?  Share this shorter video clip on your social media and send us your thoughts and questions to continue the conversation.

Do you have a comment or question?

Share this article:

Steve Simpson

Steve Simpson, a former constitutional litigator, was director of Legal Studies and a senior editor at the Ayn Rand Institute from 2013 to 2018. He is the editor of Defending Free Speech.

Onkar Ghate

Onkar Ghate, PhD in philosophy, is a senior fellow and chief philosophy officer at the Ayn Rand Institute. A contributing author to many books on Rand’s ideas and philosophy, he is a senior editor of New Ideal and a member of the Ayn Rand University faculty.

Elan Journo

Elan Journo is a senior fellow and vice president of content at the Ayn Rand Institute. His books include Illuminating Ayn Rand (2022), Failing to Confront Islamic Totalitarianism: What Went Wrong After 9/11 (2021) and What Justice Demands: America and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (2018). Elan is a senior editor of New Ideal.

Updates from New Ideal

Book Image  

Listen to New Ideal Live!

New Ideal Live is the podcast that explores pressing cultural issues from the perspective of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, which upholds the ideals of reason, individualism, and capitalism.

Subscribe here.

Ayn Rand University App

Explore unique philosophical content that challenges conventional views — in courses you can take on the go.

Available on Google Play and
the App Store.

Welcome to New Ideal!

If you like what you’re reading, be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter! You’ll also receive a FREE copy of our book, Illuminating Ayn Rand.