The Christian bakers fined $135,000 by the Oregon state government last month for their alleged act of discrimination against a same-sex couple after they refused to bake a wedding cake for them have sent especially made cakes and a Christian film to 10 LGBT organisations in the US as a goodwill gesture.
Melissa and Aaron Klein sent the cakes that bear the words "We do really love you" to the California LGBT Arts Alliance, Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Californians Against Hate, CFAC Headquarters, Equality California, Out and Equal, The South Bay LGBT Community Organisation, The LGBTQ Center Long Beach, Los Angeles LGBT Center McDonald/Wright Building and LGBT of Southern Nevada, according to the Oregon Live.
Melissa denied allegations that she and her husband hate gays.
"The idea of sending cakes was suggested to me by a Los Angeles filmmaker, as a gesture of love for homosexuals," she said, according to Charisma News. "My husband and I have been vilified as being hateful, but we don't hate anyone, let alone gay people."
Along with the cake, the Kleins also sent a copy of the film "Audacity" by evangelist Ray Comfort of New Zealand which tackles the issues of Christianity and homosexuality.
"When I saw that Melissa Klein and her husband, Aaron, had been fined $135,000 for not baking a cake for a lesbian wedding, I wanted to say something important in their defense. Like Melissa, I want the LGBT community to know that we are not their enemy," said Comfort.
He added, "I'd like to ask Melissa's accusers: Would they bake a cake for a wedding where lion meat would be served at the reception? I think most animal-lovers wouldn't do it, not because they hated the couple, but because it would be condoning something that compromised their deeply held convictions. They simply believe that eating lion meat is morally wrong. Christians love gay people, but to lend support to a same-sex wedding is to compromise deeply held convictions."
Each package sent by the Klein couple has a cake, DVD and a letter with this message:
"Hello, we are Aaron and Melissa Klein. We're the bakers who declined to create a cake for a same-sex wedding and were ordered to pay $135,000. We want you to know that our actions were not motivated by hatred, and we personally baked this cake as a small token of our love.
"Enclosed is an award-winning movie that further expresses our feelings. I would be honored if you would watch it (it's also freely available online ataudacitymovie.com).
"One viewer commented: 'I have to say, as a gay woman who watched Audacity, I agree that the topic was handled with love and compassion, which was refreshing to see ... the message was clear (even if it was one I disagreed with as an atheist).'
"On behalf of Christians, we want you to know that we do love you, and we are not your enemy (America is about freedom, and freedom for everyone)."
Last July, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) found the Kleins guilty of discriminating against couple Laurel and Rachel Bowman-Cryer after they refused to bake a wedding cake for them in 2013.
The BOLI said the Kleins violated the Oregon Equality Act of 2007.
