An Ontario Same-Sex Couple Say They Were Refused Wedding Videos Due To Their Sexuality
Two Ontario brides have claimed they are facing discrimination based on their sexuality. This became apparent after an Ontario business refused to film the couple's wedding. They received word of this decision over email.
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After contacting Caramount Pictures, Kelly Roberts, 26, and Mallory Arthur, 26, say they received a response that shocked them on Monday.
The business's co-runner wrote: “I say this with much care, because I know your union is incredibly important to you, but we do not film homosexual weddings.”
Caramount Pictures is a small wedding videography business run out of Brantford, Ontario, by Ian Hamstra and Cara Hamstra. It did offer Roberts and Arthur “good health and peace during these stressful covid times.”
Narcity attempted to reach out to the owners for comment, but they appear to have since taken down their website and Facebook page.
The couple noted that they “didn’t even try to mask their homophobia,” in a comment to The Toronto Star.
“The fact that she didn’t even try to mask it just shows that it’s such a normal thought for her to have,” Arthur continued.
In their Facebook post, the brides write that this is actually the second incident of discrimination they have faced while planning their wedding.
Gay marriage became legal in Canada in 2005 and discrimination of any kind due to sexual orientation is against the Ontario Human Rights Code.
The couple has received a great deal of responses — over 2,000 comments and 4,000 shares on Facebook — from the public, most of it denouncing Caramount and supporting the couple.
“Ultimately we’re just thankful for all the love and support,” said Roberts in a comment to Narcity.
In a post shared yesterday, Arthur shared that Roberts and herself have booked with another, LGBTQ friendly videography company and that she will be compiling a list of LGBTQ friendly businesses in Ontario for future use.
“It has been amazing to see the recommendations from so many LGBTQ+ and allies-owned businesses," Roberts said via Facebook.
"Thanks to your recommendations, we were able to find a videographer to film our big day. I wish we could invite each and every one of you to celebrate with us💞"