A North Carolina venue turned away a gay couple because it doesn't host same-sex weddings
The story of Brianna May and Kasey Mayfield is going viral after the couple shared on social media that they were shut out of a North Carolina wedding venue because they are gay.
May and Mayfield were planning their 2022 wedding and sending out inquiries to potential venues when a representative of Warehouse on Ivy, an event venue in Winston-Salem, informed them via email that "we do not host same-sex marriage ceremonies."
May shared a screenshot of the email on Facebook, where it quickly gained traction. At the time of writing, the post had over 1,400 comments and over 1,500 shares.
When asked about denial of service to May and Mayfield, a representative from Warehouse on Ivy emailed the following statement to Insider: "We will allow anyone of any color, race, religion, or belief to use our venue at any given time. Although we love and respect everyone in our community, there [sic] own decision making, and beliefs, we also strongly believe in our Christian values."
"We were shocked and hurt when we received [the original email]," May, a pathology technician and Winston-Salem resident, wrote in a message to Insider. "But we know that it happens often to queer couples."
This type of discrimination is not new in the wedding industry
Wedding planner and LGBTQ+ activist Jove Meyer, who posted a screenshot of May's Facebook post to his Instagram feed to spread awareness, told Insider in an Instagram message that he's seen this type of discrimination happen to clients.
"I have been kicked out of a church in NYC while doing my job," he told Insider. "The pastor said, 'You're not welcome here.'"
"These incidents are the reason I created my ally pledge," Meyer said. He said that there is little to no accountability for businesses in the wedding industry, so he created a pledge and will only work with venues and vendors that sign.
There have been numerous cases around the country where gay couples have been denied services for their weddings.
In 2019, a case involving a wedding cake went to the Supreme Court. The court declined to make a decision on whether a baker's "religious objections" to gay marriage superseded state law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, according to The Washington Post — in this case, the baker refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.
"The wedding industry had no code of conduct or ethical guidelines and I was frustrated with [LGBTQ+ clients handing over their] money and then [vendors] using it to take away our rights and the rights of others," Meyer told Insider. "So I did something about it."
"Hopefully, this will create action and people will ask their legislators for protections against discrimination of LGBTQ+ people," May told Insider.
People are reacting strongly to May and Mayfield's story
The reactions to May's original Facebook post have been largely positive and supportive, but it appears it's reaching people outside of social media, too.
While communicating with Insider, Meyer says he received a message from a couple who said they'd booked Warehouse on Ivy for their future wedding ceremony.
He told Insider, "I also just [got] a message from a stranger (a straight couple) that was planning to get married at that venue and just canceled their contract after finding out about the discrimination."
A representative from Warehouse on Ivy did not address Insider's request for comment on the purported cancellation.
"Getting denied from a wedding venue is only a small part of discrimination that queer people face," May told Insider. "But we are grateful for the love and support that has been shown to us!"
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