On June 4, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple because of a religious objection. The decision reignited a national conversation and outraged many gay rights activists. In light of this, cakes have become a symbol of division.
As an agency rooted in a culture of Brave that encourages self-expression and living one’s truth, David&Goliath (D&G) showed its support of the LGBTQIA community and celebrated Pride Month by hosting “CAKE FOR ALL,” an event held at the agency on Thursday, 6/21, followed by a social media campaign that will run through the end of June. Because the only divisive thing about cake should be whether you prefer vanilla, strawberry or chocolate. There’s nothing sweet about discrimination.
Four of LA’s top bakeries – Sweet Lady Jane, Duff’s Cake Mix, Magnolia Bakery and Hansen Cakes – came together and donated a total of 20 cakes to the agency. D&G employees were invited to decorate the cakes with personal messages of solidarity using D&G’s iconic ampersand. Employees wrote a series of two words on either end of the ampersand highlighting what pride means to them. Each cake was photographed on a different colored background that will be posted on D&G’s Instagram grid to represent the Pride Flag. Well-known Drag Queen Nikki Licious hosted the event and performed to a cheering crowd on D&G’s Brave Stage, adorned in a bedazzled cupcake costume and singing a set from Katy Perry.
“At D&G we’ve always believed in staying true to who we are and inspiring others to do the same. And let’s face it, that takes bravery,” said David Angelo, founder and chairman of David&Goliath. “Stepping out of fear into our greatest potential is the fabric of our agency culture. And since we opened our doors nearly 19 years ago, we have been accepting of people of all gender identities and preferences. So we decided to turn our weekly ‘Thirsty Thursdays’ happy hour into a Pride Month celebration that demonstrated our agency truth of bravery and inclusion. And that the simple enjoyment of eating cake should be shared by all.”
As part of the effort, D&G created a Hate-Free cake mix in the form of a shareable :15 second instructional video here, similar to the “Tasty” videos that are so popular on Instagram.
Starting Tuesday, June 26, D&G will post fun, animated gifs (see attached) on Twitter with messages of inclusion such as “Cake doesn’t discriminate”; “Bake love not war”; and “Baked with love not hate.” On Facebook and LinkedIn, D&G will feature interviews with employees who are a part of the LGBTQIA community, discussing various topics related to their experiences and offering advice to those who might be struggling to embrace who they are.
