How Hannah Gadsby Tricked a Christian Baker to Bake Their Wedding Cake

In their new Netflix special, Hannah Gadsby lightens things up. "Yes, it's going to be a feel-good show," they say of "Something Special," "because I believe I owe you one. I have dragged you through a bit of my s--- over the years, and you've stuck with me. Much obliged, but it's time for some payoff."

One reason for the change is that Gadsby has married. "The crowd cheers, and Gadsby proudly shows their wedding band and says, 'I know! It's nice. I like it,'"reports NBC News.com.

The website notes their third Netflix special is a departure from their previous two. "Something Special," which was filmed at the Sydney Opera House last year as part of a worldwide tour and debuted Tuesday on Netflix, is focused on queer joy by telling the story of Gadsby's engagement and marriage to Jenney Shamash, who is also their producer."

And the departure was intentional. While touring last year during the pandemic, they could tell people were nervous and "thirsty for joy" – particularly LGBTQ people, who in the U.S. have seen a surge of legislation targeting their rights over the past three years.

"That sense of anxiety in the room was what really drove me," Gadsby said. "The one thing that doesn't help anxiety is more anxiety. I felt like coming onto stage and just pouring what we already know into the room again is not going to help in that moment. I really made a conscious decision to say, 'I want reprieve for my people.' Other people who aren't in the community, it's not for them – they can enjoy it, it is possible – but this is for us."

They also said they made numerous mistakes during the wedding, such as "choosing a novelty 'shark cake' for the reception," NBC News reports. "While heterosexual couples typically have bride and groom figurines atop their wedding cakes, Gadsby and Shamash chose two otters swimming on their backs and holding hands – right in front of a shark emerging from the icing with its mouth open, displaying two rows of sharp teeth."

"But we had a good reason for having a novelty cake," Gadsby explained in the comedy special. "We wanted to trick a Christian baker into making a gay wedding cake, and it worked. I was like, 'Nah, mate, that's not a wedding cake. I'm turning 10.' Easy, so gullible, will believe anything, Christians."

Gadsby shared a photo of the cake on Instagram on Wednesday, a day after "Something Special" premiered on Netflix.