A mixed race couple was turned away from Boone’s Camp Event Hall when the owner of the Booneville, Miss., after the business sent them a message: They would not be allowed to get married at the venue after all “because of (the venue’s) beliefs.”
When the groom’s sister LaKambria Welch heard the news that her brother, who is black, would not be allowed to rent the venue to marry his fiancée, who is a white woman, she drove to the venue herself. There, she filmed an encounter with a woman who works for Boone’s Camp
“First of all, we don’t do gay weddings or mixed race, because of our Christian race—I mean, our Christian belief,” the woman tells Welch in the video.
“Okay, we’re Christians as well,” Welch replies.
“Yes ma’am,” the woman says.
“So, what in the Bible tells you that—?,” Welch beings to ask, before getting cut off by the apparent Boone’s camp employee.
“Well, I don’t want to argue my faith,” the woman says.“No, that’s fine,” Welch replies.
“We just don’t participate,” the woman says.
“Okay,” Welch responds.
“We just choose not to,” the woman continues.
“Okay. So that’s your Christian belief, right?,” Welch asks.
“Yes ma’am.”
Welch says she believes the venue found out her brother and his fiancée, whose names she has not provided to DSV, through Facebook.
“The owner took a look at my brother’s fiancée’s page and wrote her back to say they won’t be able to get married there because of her beliefs, He told my mom and she contacted the owner through messenger to only get a ‘seen’ with no reply. That’s when I took it upon myself to go get clarification on her beliefs.”
Katelynn Springsteen, also claims the venue refused to offer its services to a lesbian couple last year.
“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.