A Pennsylvania bridal salon is feeling the heat after reportedly turning away a lesbian couple who were seeking wedding gowns.
Victoria Miller, who owns the W.W. Bridal Boutique in Bloomsburg, is quoted by the Associated Press as saying that providing the women dresses "for a sanctified marriage would break God's law."
Meanwhile, Miller's attorney Al Luschas is arguing that his client has a "liberty interest," and that the couple's wedding goes against her "honestly held religious beliefs," according to the New York Daily News.
Details of Miller's interaction with the unidentified brides-to-be are scarce, but PA Homepage cites a Facebook status from one of the women, which reads:
I was put on hold for about five minutes so that the lady could get her appointment book. She took me off hold and said unfortunately she would not be able to schedule an appointment for us because they currently do not service same sex couples and it's just not something they do.
The Bloomsburg Town Council will discuss the incident at a Aug. 11 meeting, while members have said they will consider introducing legislation that will forbid businesses from refusing service to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender customers, according to the AP.
Still, Yelp users have been both critical and supportive of Miller's actions.
"This business and the woman behind it are not deserving of anyone's respect, let alone money," one user wrote, while another added, "This boutique respectfully expressed their regret at not being able to provide service for these ladies. Why is this a problem?"
A number of wedding vendors have come under fire for turning away same-sex couples who are planning to tie the knot. Jack Phillips, owner of Colorado's Masterpiece Cakeshop, vowed to stop making wedding cakes entirely after a court ruled that he'd discriminated against a pair of gay grooms-to-be when he refused to sell them a cake.
Last month, Oregon's Sweet Cakes by Melissa posted a series of photos showing desserts the company prepared for Restored Hope, a group which has advocated for reparative, or "ex-gay," therapy. That bakery was at the epicenter of a media firestorm in 2013, when co-owner Aaron Klein argued that he and his wife, Melissa, were simply living in accordance with their religious beliefs when they rejected a lesbian couple's request for a wedding cake.
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