Brianna May and Kasey Mayfield are planning to get married in 2022, and they recently asked a popular North Carolina venue called The Warehouse on Ivy about potential dates. In response, they were told they couldn’t hold the wedding there because the Christians owners opposed same-sex marriage.
May posted that exchange on Facebook over the weekend:
The venue only released a statement after reporters inquired about it:
In response to McClatchy News’ request for comment about the screenshot, The Warehouse on Ivy shared an emailed statement on Monday morning.
“We will allow anyone of any color, race, religion or belief to use our venue at any given time,” the statement said.
“Although we love and respect everyone in our community, there (sic) own decision making and beliefs, we also strongly believe in our christian values.”
“Christian values,” of course, is Christianese for bigotry… at least for people like these.
The rejection isn’t illegal in North Carolina. But this isn’t about whether the owners should face some sort of legal penalty. What’s happened since the weekend is that people are making it abundantly clear that this is a venue owned by Christian bigots and people should think twice before giving them business.
That, to me, is absolutely the right response. The venue doesn’t deserve business just because the “NO GAYS ALLOWED” sign on their front door happens to be invisible. If they’re so proud of that belief, they shouldn’t have a problem with people letting the world know about it.
Let’s be blunt about it: The Warehouse on Ivy discriminates against same-sex couples, and anyone giving them money at this point supports that kind of bigotry. Choose your wedding venue wisely. There are plenty of non-hateful owners out there who would love to work with you. You deserve a place more worthy of your love and money.
Remember that The Warehouse on Ivy isn’t a church, where anti-LGBTQ hate may be acceptable. It’s a business, where quality of service can and should have a direct impact on how many people fork over their money.
The company’s Yelp reviews have tanked while the website has temporarily blocked new reviews to make sure they reflect “actual consumer experiences rather than the recent events.” But even beyond that, the slew of media coverage should make the Christian hate dominate any future website searches about this place.
The owners should be grateful. If they’re unhappy that people don’t like their policy, they should change their policy.
This isn’t Christian persecution. This is calling out a business that espouses hate under the umbrella of faith. If the law won’t fix the problem, then there’s nothing wrong with letting the public know where their money may be going.
(Screenshot via FOX8)
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