The Star Barn, a popular wedding venue in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, bars gay weddings based on the owner David Abel’s religious beliefs, according to PennLive.
The wedding venue is iconic in the central Pennsylvania area, built in 1887 and part of a sprawling estate surrounded by farmland, an orchard and a vineyard.
Recently, Steven Dinnocenti, a retired Lancaster educator, learned that Stone Gables (which runs both the Star Barn and Ironstone Ranch) has a policy against venue reservations for same-sex couples.
“Never again will I step on (their) grounds,” Dinnocenti, who is gay and married, wrote on Facebook. “What one does not know is the blatant discrimination they have towards the LGBTQ community. I for one will not be attending any wedding or party at this venue knowing they discriminate against people.”
“Discrimination is discrimination,” Dinnocenti tells PennLive. “It’s like hate is hate. Anybody should be allowed to walk in anywhere to purchase anything. That is what a capitalistic society is. When you get the door slammed in your face it’s offensive. It’s wrong. You are saying our money is not as good as the next person’s.”
All venues and vendors need to be inclusive, not homophobic—it’s 2019, and being on the right side of history means supporting LGBTQ+ rights and couples.
