Restaurant cancels lesbian couple's wedding rehearsal dinner: 'We don't condone that kind of relationship'
An engaged couple has claimed that a restaurant canceled their wedding rehearsal dinner after finding out that they were lesbians. The couple took to social media to share their unpleasant experience.
Mindy Rackley shared on Facebook that she and her partner Kendall Brown had decided to have their wedding rehearsal dinner at the Madison Cafe, an Italian restaurant in O'Fallon, Missouri. Rackley revealed that the wife of the restaurant owner had called Brown in order to ask some questions about their reservation including what the name of the groom was.
Brown explained that her fiancée was a woman called Mindy only to hear the restaurant owner's wife say that they would have to "defer" the couple to another restaurant/location as "they don't condone that kind of relationship". Rackley stated that her partner had called her in tears after her conversation with the restaurant. "She told me that out of love for me she has to decline our business because they believe I am in an unhealthy relationship. I immediately hung up," Brown told Rackley.
Rackley wrote on Facebook, "We have never been treated this way and have never been declined a service because of who we are. Our hearts hurt. I understand everyone has a right to their opinion and beliefs. How the whole thing was handled was very unprofessional. The owner intentionally called her to find out this information and then to tell us her opinion. This post is seriously to just spread the word about this restaurant so that nobody needs to feel the way that we do now."
"So many people have fought for our rights to be equal, to be free so that we don't have to walk around and hide or be treated any different from any other human being in this world. All of the people, all of our friends and family that have used their voices when we were too scared to out of fear of what might happen to us if we used ours, we deeply thank you! We thank you for choosing love," she continued.
"For Madison Cafe to refuse us service because of who we are is prejudiced and discriminating. This is not the world we are fighting for anymore. We are all fighting for a world where we are seen as human. Let love win this time!!!! Please share and/or write a review on their page to let them know that 'Love Always Wins'," she concluded.
Many social media users commented in support of the couple on Facebook. One such user wrote, "I read your story on the news. I will never go there. That is so wrong. I hope you and your wife have a lovely wedding and a beautiful life." Another user added, "Showing love and support from Bowling Green! That is absolutely heartbreaking! I wish you the most beautiful wedding and a lifetime of bliss!"