Christian-owned bakery shuts down, cites ‘Mafia-style’ tactics of homosexual activists

An Oregon bakery targeted by the state for refusing to provide a cake for a same-sex “wedding” says Mafia-style tactics have forced them to close the business.

The owners of “Sweet Cakes by Melissa” in the Portland suburb of Gresham refused to provide the cake because their Christian faith rejects homosexual practices. The lesbian couple who requested the cake then filed a discrimination complaint with the Oregon Commissioner of Labor. That investigation is pending.

After the complaint was filed, homosexual activists began conducting demonstrations at the shop and targeting the bakery’s vendors. HotAir.com conducted an extended interview with the owners, Aaron and Melissa Klein, about their decision to shut down.

Aaron said the opposition came from people who are simply intolerant of the Christian view of homosexuality.

“They’ve been militant. The best way I can describe it is they’ve used Mafia tactics against the business,” he said.

“In fact, I just found a social media site where a guy actually said that he’d like to find us and slap the expletive out of us. But, as far as the Mafia tactics, basically [they said] if you do business with Sweet Cakes we will shut you down.”

Their business dropped by half within a short time, so they have shuttered the business and moved it into their home. The discrimination complaint is now being handled by the attorneys with no end in sight.

An Oregon government official was criticized by pro-family groups last month after stating the goal of investigations into discrimination complaints “is never to shut down a business” but instead “to rehabilitate.”

The Kleins did say their faith remains strong and they will continue to stand on the Bible.