LGBTQ news and entertainment
Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) married his longtime partner Marlon Reis on Wednesday becoming the first LGBTQ+ U.S. governor to get married while in office. Continue reading “Jared Polis Becomes 1st Gay Governor To Marry While In Office”
Teegan and Clarissa Templeton (photo; Tiffany McCarson)After saving for over a year and planning down the last detail for the wedding day of their dreams, a same-sex couple in North Carolina were devastated when their videographer ghosted on them as they made their way down the aisle.
For 14 months Clarissa and Teegan Templeton each worked two jobs to save up for their dream wedding at a scenic farm in North Carolina. Having done their research, they booked the venue, the photographer, the flowers, and a videographer through Tolman Media.
Clarissa told the News Observer that in all of their planning, the couple was careful to search for LGBTQ-friendly companies
But on the big day, the videographer decided to abandon the gig moments before the ceremony was to begin without saying a word to anyone.
Clarissa Templeton says she discovered Tolman Media on Instagram and made the booking through the company’s South Carolina branch in June 2020 for their April 3 wedding.
The company has several branches across the U.S. and reportedly contracts with many videographers.
The couple says they were in email contact with the camera man, Seth Curl, via email leading up to the big day.
Capturing the happy moment on video was especially important to the couple since, with the ongoing COVID pandemic, many family members and friends weren’t able to attend. Teegan and Clarissa hoped a video to share with loved ones would be the next-best thing. 
(photo: Tiffany McCarson)
Teegan, who arrived at the venue first, recalls seeing the videographer early on. But as the ceremony began, Clarissa realized he was no where to be found amid the crowd of attendees.
“I had a mini panic attack,” Clarissa shared with Insider. “I started to panic in my head and told myself maybe he ran to the car or had some technical difficulty.”
She added, “I refused to let myself focus on it anymore and put 110% of my focus on Teegan in that moment we were sharing together. I wanted to be in that moment.”
Following the ceremony, the couple began to take their wedding pictures with their photographer (hired separately from Tolman Media). When Clarissa asked the photographer if she knew anything about the videographer’s disappearance, the photographer paused before answering, “He left.”
During this time, the couple’s wedding planner, Ashley Hansen, scrambled to contact Curl via phone. He reportedly told Hansen he left because “of his faith and that he didn’t feel comfortable because it’s a same-sex marriage.”
Ultimately, Hansen tracked down the folks at the South Carolina office of Tolman Media who dispatched another videographer to the event. According to a Facebook post by Clarissa, the company promised to “refund the entirety of our money and give us the footage this new videographer was going to capture for FREE.”
By that time, even though the wedding was winding down, the brides went about recreating some of their big day. But, as Clarissa explained, it felt “fake” to the couple.
Fortunately, the couple’s photographer was able to capture the joyous moments via still photography. 
(photo: Tiffany McCarson)
The Templetons reached out to Tolman Media following the wedding requesting the previously mentioned refund, but it wasn’t until Clarissa posted her story to Facebook that she heard back from Tolman. At that point, Tolman Media issued a full refund and said the videographer was no longer employed by the company.
Ben Hillyard, president of Tolman Media, also issued a statement saying, “We at Tolman Media hold discrimination and discriminatory behavior as a very serious offense against individuals. We do not tolerate it within our organization.”
“Tolman Media is not this videographer,” added Hillyard. “The opinions and beliefs of this videographer do not represent our beliefs or our track record in any way shape or form.”
Hillyard also told Insider that moving forward he will ensure all branches are “fully aware” of the company’s nondiscrimination policy. And – future contractors will be required to be transparent about being available to work on same-sex weddings. And if they refuse, the company will not work with them.
Two weeks after the wedding, the Templetons received an email from Curl.
“On April 3, I did something that I have never done, nor ever had to do before,” wrote the videographer as reported by the News Observer. “Because of my faith and what I support, I made the decision to leave and not film Clarissa and Teegan’s wedding day.”
He added that he knew abandoning his assignment “would have severe consequences” and that his unannounced departure “ruined a beautiful wedding and left so many heart broken (sic).”
While Curl did apologize to the couple, he added, “This destroys me that I’ve ended up in a position where I am getting so many people saying so many negative things about me, my life, my career, and my beliefs.”
(image via Depositphotos)
(screen capture via WTVD)
“Highgrove has always welcomed vendors, guests and employees of all orientations and we do not discriminate against a people or group,” read a statement from the Highgrove owners released to WTVD. “We believe in the sanctity of marriage as God says in the Bible that marriage is between a man and a woman and we choose to honor Him above what the world decides what marriage should be.” So, two things. One, they are discriminating against “people or a group.” They refuse to treat LGBTQ people the same as heterosexual people. Two, in citing the “sanctity of marriage” I’d like to know if they’ve ever hosted the wedding of someone who’s been divorced? Cause….that’s a sin in the Bible that’s directly connected to the “sanctity of marriage.” This is just more picking and choosing parts of the Bible that support their bias. Highgrove Estates in North Carolina (image via official website)
Kaila and Erica at their Belize-inspired backyard honeymoon surprise (photo: Rachel Rodgers)
Joel and Zenile celebrate their Southwest surprise (photo: Rachel Rodgers)
(screen captures via Instagram)
L-R Kyle Hill and César Salza (image via Instagram)
A wedding photographer in Louisville, Kentucky, has filed a lawsuit challenging the city’s Fairness Ordinance saying it forces her to “use her artistic talents to promote same-sex wedding ceremonies.”
The photographer, Chelsey Nelson, asks in the lawsuit that the city not only stop enforcing the 20-year-old ordinance but also requests ‘compensatory damages.’ Continue reading “Homophobic Photographer Files Anti-LGBTQ Lawsuit ‘Just In Case’”
The folks at Eventopedia, an online events platform that helps events professionals connect with venues, crunched the numbers and have come up with the Top 10 Songs played at same-sex weddings. The intrepid researchers searched playlists on Spotify that included terms like ‘LGBT wedding’ and ‘gay wedding 2019’ in order to discover the most popular songs being played at LGBT nuptials. It may not surprise you that Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” topped the list. The song, originally released in 1987, has been streamed more than 371 million times on Spotify and showed up on more LGBTQ wedding playlists than any other song.
And Miss Whitney isn’t the only diva being played at same-sex weddings. Lady Gaga (“Born This Way”), Diana Ross (“I’m Coming Out”) and Shania Twain (“Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”) also made the gay celebration list. Of course, there are those evergreen songs you just can’t imagine not being included at a wedding like ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” the Weather Girls “It’s Raining Men,” and the Bruno Mars/Mark Ronson collaboration, “Uptown Funk.” 
“Weddings are often the most significant event of people’s lives,” Toby Heelis, founder of Eventopedia, told The Gay U.K. “And having the right music to accompany it is just as important.” Eventopedia noted that the average release date of the Top 10 was 1988, and the average song length is four minutes and six seconds. Here’s the list of the Top 10 Songs played at same-sex weddings in 2019:
Listen to the full playlist on Spotify here. (source: Eventopedia)
 |
| Angel Lane and fiancee Tiffany Allen (via Facebook) |
Another wedding vendor has denied services to a same-sex couple for their upcoming nuptials.
Angel Lane and her fiancée Tiffany Allen have plans to get married this October in Las Vegas.
In making plans for what to wear for the big occasion, they reached out to fashion brand D. Auxilly in New York City, specifically regarding a $1,500 jumpsuit.
The couple reached out to designer Dominique K. Galbraith about ordering the clothing.
But Galbraith refused to take the order after hearing the couple were lesbians. She said whipping up a wedding outfit for a same-sex wedding violated her Christian faith.
In an email, Galbraith wrote:
“I wouldn’t be able to make a piece for a same-sex wedding. It goes against my faith in Christ. I believe Jesus died for our sins so that we would live for him according to His Holy Word. I know you both love each other and that this feels right but I encourage you both to reconsider and see what the Lord has to say and the wonderful things He has in store for you both if you trust and obey Him.”
She added that she would “be available to talk and share more about Jesus if you’d like. Feel free to call me.”
Speaking to Metro, Allen said, “I hurt because I didn’t feel good enough.”
“A person who truly has that heart will tell you that God doesn’t make any mistakes,” she added. “I’m not a mistake. My fiancée is not a mistake.”
Since sharing their story on social media, the couple say many designers have reached out with offers to provide for their wedding ceremony.
It’s important to note that Lane and Allen live in Missouri where there are no public accommodation laws to protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation.
However, Galbraith’s business is located in New York state which most certainly does prohibit turning away business due to anti-LGBTQ bias.
Metro reports Tiffany and Angel are filing now filing a formal complaint against D Auxilly, and are also considering taking a lawsuit against the company.
Galbraith reportedly hung up the phone without comment when contacted by Metro.
|
| Kendall Brown (L) and Mindy Rackley (R) |
A same-sex couple in Missouri were surprised when the restaurant they had booked for their wedding rehearsal dinner cancelled the reservation upon learning their sexual orientation.
Kendall Brown and Mindy Rackley are getting married on June 15, and had planned on holding their rehearsal dinner on June 13 at Madison’s Café.
Newsweek reports that the couple chose the restaurant because it had been Rackley’s father’s favorite place to dine before he passed away two-and-a-half years ago. Holding the dinner there prior to their union was meant as a way to honor his memory.
Brown’s mother made the reservation on Monday evening, but the next day Brown received a call from the cafe asking for more information.
“Her first question was, ‘what is your groom’s name?’” explained Brown. “I said, ‘I’m marrying a woman actually and her name is Mindy.’”
From the other end of the call came the question: “Your spouse is another woman?”
Brown told the woman ‘yes.’
And with that, the woman at the restaurant told Brown, “We’re gonna have to refer you to someone else for your dinner because we don’t condone that kind of relationship.”
“Out of love for you, we’re going to have to decline your business because we believe you’re in an unhealthy relationship,” added the woman.
Brown immediately called her fiancée in tears.
Rackley told Newsweek the conversation “saddened” her.
“I just can’t believe that this is still happening and that we get treated differently because of who we love,” she said. “Who we love doesn’t change who we are and, I don’t know, it just saddens me.”
Note: Missouri does not prohibit discrimination in public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It’s legal to discriminate against LGBTQ people in the Show Me state.
Local news station KMOV reached out to Madison’s Café for their side of the story.
According to the news station, “A woman at the restaurant acknowledged the couple’s situation but did not want to comment.”
 |
| KMOV reports in front of Madison’s Cafe (screen capture) |
After their story went viral on social media, several local restaurants reached out, and the couple has booked another establishment for their dinner.
Brown told Newsweek she understands that the owner’s of Madison’s Café are entitled to their beliefs, but they shared their story on social media because they want other people to be “aware so that they don’t have to feel the way we felt.”
“In this day and age, this is just not okay,” she added.