FILE - This June 6, 2013 file photo shows Dave Mullins, right, sitting for a portrait with his husband Charlie Craig, in Denver. The gay couple is pursuing a discrimination complaint against a Colorado bakery, saying the business refused them a wedding cake for a family reception in Colorado after they were married in a Massachusetts ceremony. At issue in the complaint from David Mullins and Charlie Craig against the cake maker is whether religious freedom can protect a business from discrimination allegations by gay couples. An administrative judge in Colorado's Civil Rights Commission heard the case Dec. 4, 2013, and a ruling is expected later this week. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)
December 04, 2013 - 8:24 PM
DENVER - A Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex ceremony is defending his decision.
An attorney for Masterpiece Cakeshop in suburban Denver says the baker has a right not to spread a message with which he disagrees.
But a lawyer representing a gay couple argued that the baker's faith doesn't give him a right to discriminate.
An administrative judge in Colorado's Civil Rights Commission heard the case Wednesday morning. A ruling is expected later this week.
The bakery owner faces a $500 fine if the judge rules he illegally discriminated against the couple.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013