Attitudes don’t always lead to behavior, but does behavior lead to attitudes? Consider the following:
Jack Phillips, a baker in Colorado, refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple, claiming that doing so would violate his right to free speech. Phillips did not support gay marriage. The gay couple decided to sue the baker for discrimination. This case has now recently been reviewed by the Supreme Court, and the court is divided. A final ruling is expected in June 2018. You can get more information at this link:
Putting your personal feelings about this case aside, consider the following questions: 1) If Phillips had decided to bake the cake for the gay couple, might his attitude about gay marriage have changed? 2) Phillips argued that baking a wedding cake is a form of artistic expression, and sharing that expression with a gay couple would have violated his freedom of expression. Does his argument have any validity (keep in mind that Phillips did offer to sell the couple already baked items in his bakery)? 3) The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the baker in June 2018. What do you think of this verdict? Is it constitutional?
Please provide at least 1 professional reference (peer-reviewed journal article) to support your answer. Classroom resources (e.g., text) are ok to use, but will NOT substitute for an outside professional source.
