Oregon Church Facing $2.3 Million Lawsuit for Refusing to Host LGBT Event on Their Property
Just months after Christian couple in Oregon lost their bakery over their refusal to bake a cake for a gay wedding, a Catholic church is facing a hefty lawsuit for refusing to host an LGBT event on their property.
Holy Rosary Church of Portland, Oregon, is being sued by Ambridge Event Center, who claims their business was damaged by Holy Rosary’s rule against hosting LGBT groups.
Ambridge, who would rent out property owned by Holy Rosary for events, had to refuse service to the PFLAG Portland Black Chapter, an African-American LGBT support group.
They say the move cost them business and damaged their reputation.
“Even businesses and government entities that had previously scheduled events with Ambridge who were not affiliated with the LGBTQ community but had equity-driven internal policies, refused to work with Ambridge after reading or hearing about the discriminatory policy involved in its employment relationship with the church,” the lawsuit claims.
“Ambridge also took issue with the church’s decision to end their contract deal,” The Christian Post explains, “after the company hired an openly gay events coordinator as part of their efforts to ‘restore its image with its clientele and its relationship with the LGBTO community.'”
The lawsuit, filed last week in Multnomah County Circuit Court in Oregon, alleges that Ambridge was harmed by the church’s rules and their effect on business. They are seeking $2.3 million in damages.
In December, also in Oregon, a judged ruled against Aaron and Melissa Klein, the former owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, who had been sued for $135,000 for refusing to bake a gay wedding cake.
They had appealed for an exemption on the basis of their faith, but the judge saw this as an effort to get “a special license for discrimination.”
“The Kleins seek an exemption based on their sincere religious opposition to same-sex marriage; but those with sincere religious objections to marriage between people of different races, ethnicities, or faiths could just as readily demand the same exemption,” argued the appellate court.
Just south of the Oregon border sits California, a state which will soon decide whether or not to ban faith-based counseling with the purpose of overcoming same-sex attraction.
We certainly live in chilling times.
