Multiple California Bakers Refuse to Bake Trump-Themed Cake for 9-Year-Old’s Birthday

You may remember a handwritten message sent to Donald Trump from Dylan “Pickle” Harbin, one of the president’s biggest fans, when it was read aloud during a press briefing on July 26. The 9-year-old mega-fan wanted to share the fact that he had a one-of-a-kind Trump-themed cake for his birthday, even though there wasn’t a baker in town who would make it for him…

Here is the full letter that Dylan enthusiastically penned for President Trump:

My name is Dylan Harbin, but everybody calls me Pickle. I’m nine years old, and you’re my favorite President. I like you so much that I had a birthday about you. My cake was the shape of your hat.

How old are you? How big is the White House? How much money do you have? I don’t know why people don’t like you. You seem really nice. Can we be friends?

My picture is in here so, if you can, see me and say hi. Your friend, Dylan.

Even though Dylan’s mother noted that he is the only Trump fan in the house, she wanted to make sure that her son had a super special cake for his birthday. She tried to find a local bakery that would make a Donald Trump cake, but there wasn’t a single one that would bake it for her. Luckily for young Dylan, his mom is pretty handy in the kitchen, and she made an impressive cake shaped like one of Trump’s iconic red “Make America Great” hats. Not only did she save the day with her creative cake decorating skills, she gets bonus points in my book because she didn’t take the various California bakeries to court because they declined her request to make a design that clashed with their personal views.

Bakers refused to make Trump birthday cake for young ‘Pickle’…these are the rules? https://t.co/081fgNcNyW pic.twitter.com/ptGFQtQ7hH

— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) August 9, 2017

In this post-common sense era we live in, where Christian bakers are successfully sued for refusing to directly participate and support gay weddings against their religious beliefs, what’s stopping anyone from suing any artist if they decline to create any and every commission that comes their way?

Cake decorating is an art form, (If you’re not convinced, click through a few pages of Cake Wrecks and get back to me), and cake decorators, photographers, painters, writers, and other artists should not be forced by law or the threat of lawsuit to participate in creating or supporting something that they are morally or spiritually opposed to.

Happy Batman Day! http://t.co/C9QpclIQVy pic.twitter.com/y586BfCLqC

— Jen Yates (@cakewrecks) September 26, 2015

Let’s take a look at a famous case from 2013, where a Christian bakery was asked by a lesbian couple to create a cake for their upcoming wedding, and the lesbian couple sued after the bakers politely declined their commission. The state of Oregon ruled in favor of the lesbian partners for “emotional suffering,” and between the $135,000 that the owners of the Sweet Cakes by Melissa bakery were ordered to pay in damages, the whirlwind of negative publicity, and death threats that they and their children received from enraged LGBTQ supporters, the decision was made to close down their bakery. I should note that gay marriage wasn’t even legal in Oregon until May 19, 2014, so I’m still baffled how the lawsuit had any legs to begin with when the bakers went out of their way to avoid supporting the then-illegal marriage, and somehow end up losing the lawsuit.

Mellissa herself weighed in on why she had refused to take on the commission to bake the gay wedding cake and how she is dealing with the situation:

When I do a cake, I feel a part of what these people are celebrating. For me to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding would fully go against what I believe. I do not regret it at all. God has drastically changed my life.

God is awesome. He is taking care of us. I’m not sad about it at all. It is what it is. God opens doors and shuts doors.

But what should happen to the California bakers who turned down the chance to make a MAGA hat cake for Tump’s number one fan? Nothing, but cases like the one I noted above set a strange new bar that could force artists to create against their moral beliefs in the future. Could Dylan’s mother sue these bakers for refusing to make a Trump cake based on “emotional suffering” or “discrimination”? Maybe, but then she would be as petty and vindictive as someone who would force someone of faith to design and craft art that completely clashes with their deeply rooted beliefs, risking their reputation, finances, and business.

Trump's youngest supporter, 'Pickle,' faces discrimination after fan letter https://t.co/Zu2JtKbmNi #tcot #ccot #StandWithPickle pic.twitter.com/YrYtsIcLu0

— Allen West (@AllenWest) August 9, 2017

I don’t want to see America devolve to a point where the Art Nazis will come looking for Christian photographers who won’t do gay weddings, atheist painters who refuse to render a Nativity scene, Muslim bakers who don’t cater for Passover, and liberal artists who don’t feel comfortable making pro-conservative art.

Will this madness stop at persecuting the faith of Christian bakers? Is there a chance that the religious liberties for artists will be protected once again, or will other artistic trades soon be on trial? Time will tell, but in the meantime, I’ll get this one started for you: