CNN Lumps Racists Together With Defenders of Traditional Marriage

Is CNN equating racism with a store owner refusing to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple? In its "controversial marriage news" on Monday, CNN reported both a church refusing to let a black couple marry in its sanctuary and a bakery refusing service for a gay couple's wedding reception.

Back in May, anchor Don Lemon compared Mitt Romney defending traditional marriage to infamous Alabama Governor George Wallace touting segregation, so this isn't the first egregious smear by the network that loves to promote the gay agenda. [Video below the break.]

On Monday's Early Start, just after CNN reported on the Mississippi church banning a Black couple from marrying in the sanctuary, anchor John Berman segued into the next story:

"You know, we have some more controversial marriage news. Same-sex marriage is not permitted in Colorado, and a Lakewood, Colorado bakery is taking its own stand against gay marriage, refusing to bake a cake for a local couple's reception."

CNN claims to be the centrist cable news network, but on same-sex marriage it is anything but neutral. At CNN, the fight for same-sex marriage is the next civil rights movement.

A transcript of the segment, which aired on Early Start on July 30 at 5:36 a.m. EDT, is as follows:

ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN: A Mississippi couple set the date, mailed out the invitations, but Charles and Te'Andrea say the day before their wedding, some members of the church they planned to get married at balked because of their race.

(Video Clip)

TE'ANDREA WILSON, wedding banned at church: We had people in the sanctuary that was pitching a fit about us being a Black couple. I mean, I didn't like it at all because I wasn't brought up to be racist.

Dr. STAN WEATHERFORD, church pastor: This was – had not -- had never been done here before. So, it was setting a new precedence, and there were those who reacted to that because of that.

(End Video Clip)

SAMBOLIN: Had never been done here before. Church members made it a point to say the voices of a few do not represent the whole church. That pastor ended up marrying the couple at another nearby church.

BERMAN: You know, we have some more controversial marriage news. Same-sex marriage is not permitted in Colorado, and a Lakewood, Colorado bakery is taking its own stand against gay marriage, refusing to bake a cake for a local couple's reception. The owner of the Masterpiece Cake Shop says he takes every cake he bakes personally and won't make a cake for an event he believes should not be taking place.

Dave Mullins and Charlie Craig are planning a wedding in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where it is legal, with a reception to follow later in Denver, but they were shown the door when they went shopping in Colorado for a wedding cake.

(Video Clip)

DAVE MULLINS, refused a wedding cake: My first comment was we're getting married, and then he kind of just shot that down immediately.

JACK PHILLIPS, owner, Masterpiece Cake Shop: If it came to that point, then we'd close down the bakery before we would compromise our beliefs. And so, that may be what it comes to, but we'll have to see.

(Video Clip)

BERMAN: Residents in Lakewood are protesting the baker's decision, and some are calling for a boycott of that bake shop, the Masterpiece Bake Shop.