A bridal store in Bloomsburg denied services to a same-sex couple last week.
Outrage sparked online after a woman shared a Facebook post saying she and her partner were discriminated against by W-W Bridal Boutique, 601 Market St. in Bloomsburg.
According to WBRE-TV, the woman wrote in her post that she had called the bridal boutique to schedule an appointment for her and her fiancée to try on dresses when an employee told her the business did not “service same-sex couples.”
Boutique owner Victoria Miller told the station that the shop does not serve same-sex couples for religious reasons.
Bloomsburg Town Council held a meeting Aug. 11 to discuss a potential LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance, stemming from this incident. Several local residents and business owners testified in favor of such a measure.
Calls to Bloomsburg Mayor Sandy David were not returned by presstime.
Currently, 34 municipalities in Pennsylvania ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, but Pennsylvania lacks a statewide LGBT nondiscrimination law.
Equality Pennsylvania executive director Ted Martin told PGN the bridal-shop incident reflects the need for such a law.
“We would hope businesses that are open to the public would be open to everyone on the same terms,” he said. “It’s about treating others as you would want to be treated.”
W-W Bridal Boutique has already seen a strong response, with its Yelp review page filling up with comments from both sides.
One reviewer detailed about a past experience with the boutique in which she said employees attached religious pamphlets onto the dress the customer was purchasing.
Al Lushcas, an attorney for Miller, told PGN she “sought legal help because of the effort to draft an ordinance in the town of Bloomsburg in regard to this issue. She needed some input with regards to that.”
It is unknown whether the same-sex couple will seek legal recourse.