A California baker’s decision to decline a wedding cake request in 2017 has ignited a legal and cultural battle that remains unresolved eight years later.

Cathy Miller, a Christian bakery owner from Bakersfield, is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear her case after state courts rejected her religious freedom defense following her refusal to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, Faithwire reported.

Miller owns Tastries bakery, a custom cake shop in Bakersfield, where she has baked for weddings, birthdays, and other special events. Since opening, she says she has upheld what she calls “design standards” based on her Christian beliefs, declining to make cakes with violent or adult content as well as events that conflict with her faith, including Halloween or same-sex unions.

In August 2017, two women approached Tastries to order a wedding cake. Miller, after talking with the couple, felt she could not create the cake in good conscience and respectfully declined the request. She then referred the pair to another local baker who is part of the LGBTQ community and, according to Miller, would be able to accommodate them.

Following the visit, the couple filed a complaint, alleging discrimination. Miller’s legal representative said the couple shared their account on social media, claiming Miller harshly turned them away, causing public backlash against the bakery.

Baker Faces Threats After Going Public

Within hours of the complaint surfacing, Miller reported a surge in threats and harassment. She said her inbox was flooded with hate mail, and she and her staff received death and rape threats. The bakery was overwhelmed with media attention and social media hostility.

Miller said she was shocked by the response and had not anticipated the situation escalating so quickly. “I did not realize that, within two hours, we would be bombarded,” she recalled. She said her intent had always been to treat the couple respectfully while remaining true to her faith.

This confrontation launched a drawn-out legal battle that has continued for nearly a decade. The California Civil Rights Department pursued legal action, claiming Miller's refusal violated the state's anti-discrimination laws.

Initial Court Victory Overturned on Appeal

In the early stages of the legal process, a lower court ruled in favor of Miller. The judge determined that she could not be compelled to create a message that went against her deeply held religious convictions.

However, that decision was later reversed on appeal. The California Supreme Court declined to review the case, leaving the appellate court's ruling intact. With state-level options exhausted, Miller’s legal team announced plans to bring the case to the nation's highest court.

Adèle Keim, an attorney from the religious liberty law firm Becket, is representing Miller. She emphasized that Miller never intended to discriminate but felt she could not use her creative skills to celebrate a message that conflicted with her understanding of scripture.

Advocates Invoke Past Supreme Court Decisions

Keim referred to two landmark cases—Masterpiece Cake Shop and 303 Creative—where the U.S. Supreme Court sided with creative professionals who refused to provide services for same-sex weddings. “The U.S. Supreme Court has said twice… ‘Back off,” she said, regarding similar conflicts between free speech and civil rights laws.

Keim argued that California courts are not honoring these precedents, despite the Supreme Court’s clarity in prior decisions. She criticized the state's legal justification as prioritizing local civil rights law over First Amendment protections.

“The U.S. Constitution was meant to protect all Americans, regardless of where they live,” Keim said. She urged the Supreme Court to provide clarity that state-level enforcement cannot override religious liberty guaranteed by federal law.

Miller Appeals to Faith and Prayer

Throughout the ordeal, Miller has leaned on her Christian faith for guidance. She explained that she prayed seriously about the couple’s wedding cake request before deciding she could not participate.

“I said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t hurt my Lord and Savior,’” Miller said, explaining her thoughts during the 2017 interaction. She emphasized that she did not mean to insult or reject the couple personally, but that participating in their ceremony would violate her religious convictions.

As the case moves forward, both Miller and Keim are asking for prayers from the public. Keim encouraged people to support others in their communities who take stands based on their beliefs, saying some issues, though personal, carry broad constitutional implications.