Rácz Réka

PG9FOI
American Culture and Institutions
2023/24 1

Response Paper
Masterpiece Cakeshop is fighting for the First Amendment, not against gay rights1

This very complicated case gives us a taste, how our beliefs and the views of our fast-
evolving world can confront with each other. In this article, we can read about religion, love
and how we can defend our rights. This two sides story is about a religious cakemaker, who
stood by his faith and a same-sex couple, wanting to happily celebrate a big momentum of
their lives.

Now, all of my knowledge on this topic is based on this article, on social media research, and
the First Amendment2, yet I got an understanding that this is not only about denying service.
The most important layers of it all were mentioned already in the first paragraph. If we would
like to think this over in a chronological order, first we have to settle that his happened in
2012, in Colorado, where at that time same-sex marriage was not even legal (until 2014). This
piece of information, I find very relevant, but aside from that my main objective is the social
background.

The First Amendment states: „Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the
press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances.” From my perspective, the foremost thing in almost every American
citizen’s life is to defend and freely use their “God given” rights. In connection with this
occurrence, the cakeshop owner - a religious man - let his beliefs control his emotions or
decision. And he did this over money. Without being biased or taking sides, as for me,

1
Anon. Full text of the U.S. Constitution | Constitution Center. National Constitution

Center – constitutioncenter.org. https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/full-

text.

2
Harsanyi, David. 2017. Masterpiece Cakeshop is fighting for the First Amendment,

not against gay marriage. Reason.com, 30. June.

https://reason.com/2017/06/30/masterpiece-cakeshop-is-fighting-for-the/.
Rácz Réka
PG9FOI
American Culture and Institutions
2023/24 1

choosing what you think is right, over your earnings is a very respectable doing. Many people
today are stuck in situations where they have to give up their ethics just to earn a living.

On the contrary, the couple, wanting to just buy a cake was denied service, for a very similar
reason why the owner decided that way: believing. You can believe in God, or in any
religion, or even in love. People have been fighting for years, only to love freely. Being
discriminated for your sexual orientation - in other words: just to be with anyone you love - is
almost like not being able to work in any fields. I have previously heard of debates discussing
whether the perspective of Christianity should be changed, in order to accept gay rights.
According to my experiences, in Hungary, - or even in West- and Middle Europe - the people
cannot fully keep up with the pace of this world. In my surroundings, acquaintances, former
teachers everybody is a follower of the Catholic Church. These people could never agree on
such a controversial debate, moreover they might not be able to see over their dogmas, or
comprehend the situation.

My conclusion is just as complex as the ideas above. Hungarians are - in my opinion - not that
patriotic in connection with our rights. (I have read the American constitution way more than
the Hungarian - which is actually never -). Besides, as a nation we are not ready to take such a
big step accepting and embracing the LMBTQ movement, gay rights etc. We, the people are
old and traditional, many of us - mostly the elderly - are not keen on changes. The way I see
it, in a few years this country will in fact be a more accepting environment for everybody, but
this is just not the right time yet, to discuss such a compound instance.

Some questions for class debate:

Why do you think I did my research on social media?

Do you think that rights are far more important for Americans than for Hungarians?

Would you be able to give up your beliefs for money?

Could you take sides in this debate?