A couple from Brisbane have been left stunned by Kiwi baker's refusal to make them a cake for a same-sex wedding.
Moe Barr and Sasha Patrick decided on a wedding in New Zealand last year before same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia.
But when they recently contacted Kath's Devine Cakes in the small Northland-region town of Warkworth, they were turned down.
"Even though as individuals you are both fabulous and amazing people, I must follow the integrity of my heart and beliefs," the email from the store, posted by the couple on social media, read.
"Our government has legalised same-sex marriages, but it is not my belief that it is correct, therefore, I will not support it and cannot make your wedding cake for you."
Ms Patrick said they were left surprised and upset.
"We've been really open about the fact that it's a same-sex wedding and had absolutely no problems with any of the other vendors," she told Stuff.co.nz.
"You just don't expect to get a response like that these days."
Comment has been requested from Kath's Devine Cakes.
The incident sparked heated debate on social media, while the couple have received offers from other bakers.
New Zealand's human rights laws state it's illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation, although there are other provisions that protect religious freedoms.
Since same-sex marriage was legalised in 2013, New Zealand's wedding and tourism industries have been keen to play host to couples from around the world looking to tie the knot, particularly from Australia.
In 2017, more than half of same-sex couples getting married in New Zealand were Aussies.
The case follows a high-profile United States dispute in which a baker discriminated against a gay couple on religious grounds, eventually going to the country's Supreme Court.
