A Pennsylvania wedding venue is under fire for refusing to host a same-sex wedding last week.
The Inne at the Abingtons, in North Abington Township near Scranton, reportedly refused to host a wedding for a lesbian couple solely because of the couple’s sexual orientation.
Pennsylvania is the only state in the country to sanction same-sex marriage but not have a law on the books banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Two other marriage-equality states lack laws banning discrimination based on gender identity.
Thirty-four municipalities in the state ban LGBT discrimination, but North Abington Township is not one of them.
According to The Times-Tribune, Desiree Mark, who lives in the Scranton area, had planned to wed out of state but the couple revamped their plans after Pennsylvania legalized same-sex marriage May 20.
Mark contacted the Inne by email, inquiring about services, and received an email back from wedding and event planner Courtney Killeen stating that the Inne does not host same-sex weddings.
Killeen told The Times-Tribune that she did not personally agree with the policy. The Inne at the Abingtons is owned by John O. Antolick.
The venue did not respond to a request for comment from PGN.
John Dawe, executive director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, said the incident highlights the pressing need to move House and Senate Bill 300 forward.
“The NEPA Rainbow Alliance, Inc. does not agree with any venue’s choice to discriminate; however, we respect their right to do so, just as they should respect our right to promote those venues who are welcoming gay couples with open arms,” he said. “We will continue to press for laws to make discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression illegal a reality.”
Jessica Rothchild, president of the board of Equality Pennsylvania and a resident of Scranton, echoed those sentiments.
“My fiancée and I are especially disheartened that this happened in our own backyard,” she said. “In our current search for wedding venues in Northeast Pennsylvania, it is scary to think that the same thing can happen to us. As the president of the board of Equality PA, it is my priority to be sure that we pass SB 300 and HB 300 as soon as possible so that other LGBT people will not face this kind of discrimination in the future.”