The story behind the story: In July 2012, Charlie Craig and David Mullins went to Denver's Masterpiece Cakeshop to order a cake for a gay wedding, only to be turned down because Jack Phillips, who owns the business, objects to such unions on religious grounds. Since then, the case has wound its way through the judicial system all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where oral arguments were heard in December. A ruling is expected by the end of the current term.
Westword has covered the matter since the beginning. Links to a whopping twenty stories on the topic published over nearly six years are accessible below, along with a link to last night's show.
As a teaser, here's a blooper from the broadcast, shared on Facebook:
In this scene, cheerfully insane right-winger Karen Walker, portrayed by Megan Mullally, stops into a bakery to order a cake for Donald Trump sporting the letters "MAGA," the acronym for "Make America Great Again." But the employee — Vanessa Bayer, of Saturday Night Live fame — refuses on the grounds that doing so would violate her beliefs.
When Karen's pal Grace Adler (Debra Messing) hears about what happened, she immediately becomes upset, based on her knowledge of what happened in Colorado — until she finds out that it was a MAGA cake for Trump. But her opinion flips again when she realizes that protecting freedom of speech often means we must defend content that we personally find appalling. With that in mind, she meets Karen at the bakery and argues that Bayer's character should bake the cake anyhow.
The employee does so, but she initially frames MAGA with the letter "I" to the left and "Y" to the right, resulting in a three-word phrase that means something very different.
We won't give away the ending, but it's both gut-busting and appropriately messy.
Click to watch the episode and continue for a Masterpiece Cakeshop chronology by way of Westword coverage.
Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop.
Courtesy of Colorado Christian University
JULY 20, 2012
"Masterpiece Cakeshop refuses gay wedding: Readers share their stories"
JULY 23, 2012
"Masterpiece Cakeshop: Yelp removes negative comments, while supporters create Facebook group"
JULY 31, 2012
"Masterpiece Cakeshop: Will shop make cake for dog wedding but not gay wedding?"
AUGUST 1, 2012
"Photos: Protesters picket Masterpiece Cakeshop's anti-gay marriage policy"
AUGUST 6, 2012
"Masterpiece Cakeshop ordered to stop discriminating against gay couples"
DECEMBER 6, 2013
"Masterpiece Cakeshop: Civil Rights Commission finds bakery discriminated against gay couple"
MAY 30, 2014
"Masterpiece Cakeshop Lawyers Say Case Exemplifies Why Controversial Religious Freedom Laws Needed"
APRIL 3, 2015
"Masterpiece Cakeshop in Court: Owner Wants OK Not to Make Gay-Wedding Cakes"
JULY 7, 2015
"Glenn Beck on Gay Wedding Cake Case: 'You're Going to Have to Kill Me'"
AUGUST 21, 2015
Thinkstock file photo
AUGUST 24, 2015
"CO Supreme Court Won't Hear Appeal in Gay-Wedding Cake Case"
APRIL 25, 2016
"U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Masterpiece Cakeshop Gay Discrimination Case"
JUNE 26, 2017
"Trump Team Backs Baker Who Refused to Make Wedding Cake for Gay Couple"
SEPTEMBER 8, 2017
"Why You Should Order Satan Cakes From Discriminatory Christian Bakers"
OCTOBER 18, 2017
"Hate State Amendment 2 After 25 Years — and Why We're Reliving It in 2017"
NOVEMBER 3, 2017
"Religious Freedom Rally Held for Controversial Lakewood Bakery Owner"
NOVEMBER 8, 2017
"Are Some Christians More Equal Than Others in Cakeshop Case?"
NOVEMBER 16, 2017
"Reader: Jesus Would Have Refused to Make That Cake, Too"
DECEMBER 3, 2017
"How to Convince U.S. Supreme Court to Rule Against Masterpiece Cakeshop"
DECEMBER 5, 2017
