The Publix supermarket chain has issued an apology following an incident where their bakery department declined to write a message in support of the transgender community on a cake.

The manager of a "Publix" supermarket in Florida has said sorry to a customer who advocates for transgender rights. The supermarket's bakery refused to write a message supporting transgender people on a cake. Yasmin Flasterstein, who works for a non-profit organization that supports mental health, tried to buy a cake with a pro-trans message at the store. However, the bakery manager refused to write the message on the cake with icing. Flasterstein was buying the cake for a pro-trans campaign at her workplace.
The cake was adorned by the bakery with the phrase "joy is a right for everyone," and they also gave the customer additional frosting to include the term "trans" on her own.
An employee at a Starbucks in Houston was terminated for writing "Defund the Police" on a customer's cup. The customer, who is an activist, had requested that the word "T-R-A-N-S" be written on a cake but was told by the employee that it couldn't be done according to corporate standards. The employee then went to get a bakery manager, who informed the customer that the request couldn't be fulfilled.
According to the customer, the bakery manager informed them that writing "Trans People Deserve Joy" on the cake was not allowed as it was considered a political statement and against corporate policy. The manager seemed upset while refusing the custom order. The customer shared their dissatisfaction on Facebook and tagged the Publix brand.
She contended in her message that Publix was not being neutral but rather expressing a viewpoint by declining to write the message.
Flasterstein expressed confusion over the idea that simply believing that any community deserves joy is considered a stance. She questioned why it was acceptable to say "people deserve joy" but not "trans people deserve joy." Martina Navratilova praised World Athletics' decision on transgender females, calling it a positive step. Additionally, she criticized the grocery store chain, Publix, for their actions and mentioned that Peer Support Space had used them for catering in the past due to convenience and affordability.
We have decided to discontinue the use of Publix for our events.
Personally, I will be reducing my visits to Publix. This is disgraceful.
On a day when a happy occasion almost gave me a respite from the harsh reality of the world, the situation was a harsh reminder. Flasterstein contacted Publix via email and received an apology.
The statement was verified by a nearby Fox affiliate and shared by Flasterstein. The manager of the grocery store stated that writing a message in support of the transgender community was not in violation of the company's policies.
The message expressed regret and requested permission to apologize for the negative encounter with buying and requesting writing on the cake.
I am truly saddened that our team failed to meet your expectations.
The message that you asked for on your cake is something that we could have written. Flasterstein expressed her desire for Publix to take responsibility for any internal policies or directives that may have led to the incident and make necessary changes to prevent it from happening again. Fox News Digital has contacted Publix for a response and will provide an update if one is received.