aKambria Welch claims her brother and his fiance had been in contact with the owner of Boones Camp Event Hall making wedding arrangements for about a week when, suddenly, the owner of the Booneville, Miss., business sent them a message: They would not be allowed to get married at the venue after all because of (the venues) beliefs.
When Welch learned that her brother, who is black, would not be allowed to rent Boones Camp to marry his fiance, who is a white woman, she said she drove to the venue herself and asked why. There, she filmed what she says is an encounter with a woman who works for Boones Camp (video below).
First of all, we dont do gay weddings or mixed race, because of our Christian raceI mean, our Christian belief, the woman tells Welch in the video.
Okay, were Christians as well, Welch replies.
Yes maam, the woman says.
So, what in the Bible tells you that?, Welch beings to ask, before getting cut off by the apparent Boones camp employee.
Well, I dont want to argue my faith, the woman says.
No, thats fine, Welch replies.
We just dont participate, the woman says.
Okay, Welch responds.
We just choose not to, the woman continues.
Okay. So thats your Christian belief, right?, Welch asks.
Yes maam.
Welch says she believes the venue found out her brother and his fiance, whose names she has not provided to DSV, through Facebook.
The owner took a look at my brothers fiances page and wrote her back to say they wont be able to get married there because of her beliefs, Welch told DSV. He told my mom and she contacted the owner through messenger to only get a seen with no reply. Thats when I took it upon myself to go get clarification on her beliefs.
Another woman, Katelynn Springsteen, also claims the venue refused to offer its services to a gay couple last year. She provided DSV a screenshot of Facebook messages she says she exchanged with the venue in September 2018.
I was trying to find my best friend, who is lesbian, a wedding venue. I was immediately shot down when I was asked if they were okay with a gay wedding, Springsteen said.
In the screenshot, a page identified as Boones Camp Event Hall (Boones Camp took their Facebook page down this weekend after Welch posted the video), sends Springsteen a list of prices for its wedding services in a message dated September 2018.
Are you okay with it being a gay marriage ceremony? Springsteen asks.
Thanks for checking with us Katelynn, but due to our Christian faith, we would not be able to accommodate you.
Deep South Voice reached out to Boones Camp. A man who answered the phone did not identify himself, saying only that they had no comment. He hung up before DSV could ask any further questions. He did not confirm nor deny that the video showed a Boones Camp employee, nor that the venue had such a policy.
In 2016, the Mississippi Legislature passed a religious freedom law allowing businesses to refuse service to LGBT people on the basis of their religious beliefs about marriage or gender. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed that bill, House Bill 1523, into law.
After being initially struck down in federal court, the conservative U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the law to stand. The U.S. Supreme Court did not take the case.