Gresham bakery owners who refused to make a wedding cake for a Portland lesbian couple said Tuesday they've had a rush of customers since the couple filed a state complaint.

The couple's attorney, Paul Thompson, said his clients plan to release a statement in a few days. He said they appreciate their supporters.

Both sides in the dispute have also seen their fair share of opposition as well since the state attorney general's office announced last Friday it was reviewing a complaint filed Jan. 18 by Laurel Bowman. The complaint stems from a visit by her fiancée and her fiancée's mother the previous day to Sweet Cakes by Melissa, 44 N.E. Division St. in Gresham, for a wedding cake.

When one of the bakery owners, Aaron Klein, discovered the cake was for a same-sex marriage, he called the couple "abominations unto the Lord" and made other comments that reduced the fiancée to tears, according to the complaint.

Klein said the bakery sells to customers of all sexual orientations. However, he said he and his wife, Melissa, turn down requests to bake cakes for same-sex marriages because that goes against their Christian faith. He denied disparaging the couple.

State law says it is a violation for a business to deny "full and equal accommodations" for customers based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and other factors.

News of the complaint led Duff Goldman, star of "Ace of Cakes" on the Food Network, to make an offer Monday to bake a cake for the couple and deliver it from Los Angeles for free. The couple have not responded publicly.

Melissa Klein, co-owner of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, chats with a customer Tuesday inside the Gresham store. She says the bakery has seen a bump in business after declining a wedding cake order from a Portland same-sex couple for religious reasons.

News of the complaint apparently led to a bump in the Gresham bakery's sales, Melissa Klein said. The influx started Saturday, and the business ran out of baked goods about an hour and a half before closing Tuesday.

She spent the rest of her workday taking orders and telling customers they would have to return the next day.

"It's been very busy here the last few days, and at times, it's been hard to handle the demand," she said.

Melissa Klein declined to say more because she had to help prepare for the next day before closing the shop and picking up her children. She said her husband was out buying ingredients.

John Kuykendall of Gresham brought his son to the shop to support the family. He said his beliefs are in line with those of the Kleins.

"If you look at these shelves, it's pretty easy to see that others are saying, 'We believe in you' and 'We stand with you, too,'" Kuykendall said.

The Sweet Cakes owners have until next week to file their response to the complaint with the state attorney general's office, said Jeff Manning, an attorney general's spokesman. After that, the complaint might be referred to the state Bureau of Labor and Industries.

Charlie Burr, a BOLI spokesman, said his agency is aware of the case but has not been contacted directly by the attorney general's office or the Portland couple.

If BOLI investigates the complaint and finds substantial evidence of discrimination, Burr said, it could try to broker a settlement between the sides. BOLI would seek charges only if no settlement could be reached, he said.

A judge could assess civil penalties of as much as $1,000 for each violation and emotional damages of as much as $50,000 for each person, he said.

"Everyone has a right to religious beliefs," Burr said. "But that doesn't mean they can disobey laws and regulations in place to protect everyone."

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