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It was meant to be an exciting process as two brides-to-be planned their wedding, touring venues for their big day.
As they searched for a place to say “I do,” the brides wanted to ensure that the location they chose would be welcoming and supportive to them as an LGBTQ+ couple.
Looking at Stonewall Venue in in Elbert, Colorado, which began as a Catholic church, the women wanted to be especially sure that a wedding venue with a religious history would be open to a same-sex couple.
In a video posted by Alexis, as user .kenzie.alexis, one of the brides, the couple found that, unfortunately, the venue was not as welcoming as they would hope.
“We would certainly not turn away any LGBTQ business, if it came our way,” Stonewall Venue began an email to Alexis, in response to a question she had asked on the matter.
“However, we personally, strongly believe in a traditional approach to marriage.”
The brides were shocked by the reply and the insinuation that the venue where they had considered spending the happiest day of their lives would not recognize their right to marriage.
In the comments section, TikTok users were similarly appalled after 1.1 million views since June 21.
“Twelve years after gay marriage was legalized and people are STILL homophobic. Embarrassing,” one commenter criticized.
Others pointed out how blatantly the business admitted that, though they would not support the couple’s decision, they would throw away their morals if it meant making extra money.
“‘We’ll take your money, we just don’t think you’re people’ is an insane set of morals,” remarked an individual.
“I’m crying [because] not only are they homophobic, they’re willing to compromise their values for that bag,” pointed out another.
‘Miss the mark’
In a post by the venue, the business attempted to apologize for the incident days later, after .kenzie.alexis’ post went viral.
“We didn’t just miss the mark; our phrasing failed to reflect the respect and inclusion we strive to stand for,” the company wrote on Instagram.
“To be clear, we did not turn anyone down in any way, but we know our choice of words fell short—and intent does not erase impact.”
The post has not received any comments after three days online.
While Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits businesses from discriminating against people based on race, color, religion or national origin, it does not include sexual orientation. As a result, members of the LGBTQ+ community are not protected under federal law.
Many states, including Colorado, where the incident took place, have passed specific legislation protecting members of the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination by private businesses operating in a public forum. However, many religious organizations and non-profits are exempt from these laws.
For LGBTQ+ couples looking to get married, and for society as a whole, this story is a sad reminder of the prejudice that still exists throughout the United States.
‘Just as horrible’
In an update on July 20, .kenzie.alexis shared that the venue got all negative reviews removed from their website and got their rating brought back up.
“The apology posted by the venue was just as horrible as their email to me and has been proved to be AI… but do we expect any less?”
Though there has been no further word from Stonewall Venue, one can imagine the brides will not be getting married there and instead will find a welcoming location to celebrate their love to the fullest.
Newsweek has reached out to .kenzie.alexis for comment via TikTok and to Stonewall Venue for comment via email. We could not verify the details of the case.
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