Benjamin Hostetter—owner of Media Mansion, a Denver-based videographer who shoots weddings and other events—recently refused to record a lesbian couple’s wedding, citing his religious beliefs.
Ugh.
When Anna Suhyda and Amanda Broadway decided to wed, they reached out to Media Mansion to capture their special day on video.
When Suhyda told Hostetter over the phone that the name of her fiancée was Amanda, he later responded with an e-mail that read, “Unfortunately, at this time, we are not serving the LGBTQ community!”
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In an open letter, the company later clarified on Facebook:
Media Mansion is happy to work with people in the LGBTQ community! If a person who identifies as LGBT needs a video for their growing business, a blog, short film idea, etc., we’d love to assist. We simply do not film gay ceremonies or engagements. This decision is based on personal religious beliefs. We do not ask that you agree with our beliefs but only as that you respect our beliefs.
We wonder if Media Mansion “believes” that Colorado law states that all public businesses are required to work with LGBTQ people, because it does.
We also wonder if Media Mansion would record a gay couple’s child’s birthday party, a vlog supporting LGBTQ rights or a kid’s coming out party. Somehow we doubt it.
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Hostetter stuck his foot even further in his mouth by telling the media:
“It really like just kind of exploded, and everyone just kind of assumed that we hate gay people, which is sad. I have friends who are gay, and if they want to hang out and me to do a video for them, it’s totally cool. But specifically doing a project that would be against my beliefs in anything regardless of what the specifics of it is not something I want to engage in.
I believe [marriage] has to do with family and producing healthy families. I don’t think there’s a lot of good evidence out there that two men or two women can come together and have a really amazing effective family that is good and is everlasting.”
First off, you can have gay friends like this guy and still totally be a homophobe. Second, there are numerous studies that say same-sex couples raise strong families, so Hostetter can go suck an egg.
It’s hardly surprising that Hostetter and Media Mansion should try this bull in Colorado—it’s the same state as the anti-gay Masterpiece Cakeshop bakery.
Meanwhile, Media Mansion’s page on The Knot, a website that rates wedding businesses, is getting low ratings and bad reviews.
We hope Hostetter will respect our beliefs that his company is anti-queer.
Vince
Does anyone know where gay marriage is prohibited by the Bible? Did Jesus talk about it? I know he talked a lot about divorce and I’m sure this hypocrite has no problem serving them.
This guy is so full of shit. They saw the Cake shop owners get rich from the Fundy donations and wanted a piece of that cake too.
MacAdvisor
Masterpiece Cake Shop, nor its owner Jack Phillips, did not get rich from their court case. In fact, he wound up laying off about half his staff due to the loss of his wedding cake business. While Phillips’ lawyers profited, he did not.
ModeI
I agree, he did wrong, this is nonsense
djmcgamester
No, but it only discussed marriage in relation to how the man subjugates the woman. Since wives aren’t allowed to leave the home without the permission of the husband they’re stuck there forever.
Billy Budd
This guy must make what, 30k a year? Redneck bullshit.
@HarryB
To tell the truth i dont really understand what is the difference to shoot homo or straight wedding if videographer is professional.
Polaro
I’m torn about this kind of stuff. He’s the wrong guy for the job, that’s clear. They should not want to hire him based on that alone. So the issue is should he be forced to video a wedding he was personal issues with? Its like the non-binary pronouns that I will not be forced into using, regardless of their political agenda or extortionist behavior… Hmmm, similar.
Its a slippery slope either way. He does not seem homophobic or a redneck…
Vince
Obviously he shouldn’t be forced and that might be his intention all along since it gets the Fundies all riled up and writing checks. I just want to avoid them. The review sites are great.
DCguy
Except it isn’t a slippery slope. Change the text in your question to…..
Should a business be forced to serve Black people, women, or Asians if the owner doesn’t like them? Yes, it is a public business, and these people all pay taxes. It seems like the LGBT community is the only group that has enough self shame built up to even CONSIDER that someone not serving us is fine. Could you imagine people on an Asian blog defending a public business, using public infrastructure not serving Asians?
RIGay
I realize that we now live in the age of MAGA brains, but ya know…
Take the business somewhere else. And when you do, you promote the HELL out of the other place and give him a bad review. He can go back to making videos of his Uncle – Sisters wedding.
LuckyCelt777
I remember all those times I read that when someone approached Jesus, he’d turn to them and say, “Unfortunately at this time, I can’t help help you as you are someone my father disapproves of.” And really, saying it’s only gay ceremonies you won’t do because your religious beliefs is, again, cherrypicking. I mean if you were such a faith follower, your religious beliefs call for complete demonization of LGBT. Yes, I know many can believe in the christian faith and be pro-LGBT. But, those people are usually supportive of full equality. If you’re going to say no to just one part, you should say no to all of it. Also, sending an email after a phone conversation where upon hearing the name of the fiancé, instead of having the guts to say, at that moment, that you can’t film a gay wedding is pretty cowardly.
mondongo
The problem is with religion in general. There is no proof at all as to any reality and exists in the mind of the individual.
Once our societies deny such beliefs have any credibility, and has no judiciary actions occur to protect the fantasy seekers, thing could improve!
How is it that Catholic priests can get away without jail terms! We are told that GOD WILL PUNISH THEM and that is supposed to be good enough!
Invalid
“Unfortunately, at this time, we are not serving the LGBTQ community!” If you believe that it is unfortunate that you don’t serve the LGBTQ community, you have the power to change that. But, don’t expect us to believe you’re not biased when you clearly are.
Mack
Just another bigot pushing his fake religion on people. I would love to see these bigots put out of business.
xenafreak31
Well it’s been over 2000 years…people change.
gymmuscleboy
The intolerance in these comments is astounding.
There is always going to be someone who believes in traditional marriage. Go elsewhere! We don’t need them anymore! This isn’t the 1950’s and we have nowhere to go. These people don’t stand in our way. We can get married and we don’t need their help.
When we take their values away from them by force (eg. destroying their businesses through online campaigns), that is an act of aggression. And if we do not expect retaliation in the long-term, then we are stupid and we will get what we deserve. That is why we have Trump!
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Ok so am guessing you would have told the Blacks in the 1960s to just sit in the back of the bus, do everyone a favor and be quiet???
gymmuscleboy
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS Guess again. Gays don’t sit at the back of the bus. We are already winning the culture war. People like this wedding videographer are a rarity and do not stand in our way. Christian attitudes towards homosexuality have been shifting rapidly for at least a decade now. This hateful attitude towards them harms us in the long-term.
Juanjo
Bullshit. You stand up to bigotry. Yeah, maybe in a large city it is easy to find another good wedding photographer, baker, florist etc to help with a wedding. But that isn’t the case everywhere. Likewise, if there are businesses like this then publicizing the fact means that they do not get away with being secret bigots. The public needs to know the facts so that they can decide whether they wish to support a business which discriminates. And you are damn right it is an act of aggression, it is letting bigots know that if they are going to engage in aggression against gay people then they are going to be unveiled as the bigots they are.
Daniel Villarreal
Bullshit, gymmuscleboy. Don’t you realize that when idiots like this get away with crimes like this, it empowers their dipshit counterparts in Nowhere, Idaho to do the same thing? And there, unlike in Denver, there is NO OTHER wedding retailer, bakery, pharmacist, doctor, daycare, or whatever. You just have to put up with their discrimination and suck it: sorry if you need a video or a cake or medication or child-care or whatever.
And if guys like this douche sue the state saying that pro-LGBTQ anti-discrimination ordinances hurt their religious freedom, and if they win, then we’re screwed. So no. It’s not just about this one guy or destroying his business in an act of aggression. It’s about enforcing a law that’s supposed to protect all Americans FAIRLY. And if this shithead doesn’t want to do it, you bet your ass he deserves to be called out for it, just like the other bigots.
gymmuscleboy
@Juanjo But we are “secret bigots”, too. It is all over the comments. We have a problem with religion in general and we think they should stop worshipping their “fake god”. The majority of Christians in America say homosexuality should be accepted. Judging by the comments, they are more accepting of us than we are of them. Perhaps we should think twice before we openly declare war on a group who is largely our ally.
@Daniel The disadvantages of living in a small town are well researched and hardly limited to gay issues. What are you expecting to achieve? What do you think will happen if we run every conservative Christian out of business? They will just convert to pro-gay? Quite the opposite. And no, we’re not screwed if this guy sues and wins. That is typical exaggerated drama. We will still have gay marriage and every other right and freedom we currently take for granted. All it would mean is you couldn’t do business with some “dipshit from nowhere” you were hateful of in the first instance.
At this rate, our community will never be happy until we convert everyone to our point of view. That is not what America is about.
DCguy
Oh look, the right wing troll accounts are STILL trying to push the line that not tolerating racism and bigotry is being “Intolerant”.
Sorry sweetie, the very definition of racism or bigotry is “Intolerance”, But it’s adorable you are still trying to hide bigotry being the words “Traditional” or “Different opinion”.
This is a public business, supported by public infrastructure, paid for by everybody’s taxes, and Colorado law outlaws discrimination. End of story.
gymmuscleboy
@DCguy Judging by comments from all over this site, it is hard to deny that many in our community are biogted and intolerant of religion itself. Intolerance of religion is intolerance. We all know the law is already on our side. Aggressively targeting the destruction of businesses (and celebrities) until they relinquish their religion is overreactionary and harmful to our image in the long-term. These comments are from this thread alone:
“The problem is with religion in general”
“There is no proof (god exists)”
“Fake religion”
“Once our society (rejects religion) things will improve”
DCguy
@gymmuscleboy
Translation, you, while trolling for the right wing are desperately trying to make the bigots into victims, and claim that the victims of discrimination are the bullys.
You’ll have to remind me where all the gay businesses are that are saying they won’t serve religious people.
Go back to the Breitbart page.
gymmuscleboy
@DCguy No, that’s not what I’m saying. Many within the gay community are intolerant of religion itself. I have given examples of this. We already have the law on our side yet we disrespect the principle of religious faith, to say the least.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
These hateful vile, abhorrent, bigots are cutting off their noses to spite their faces. Gays tend to earn significantly more than straight couples, and we tend to have pretty elaborate ceremonies. Hence a lot more earned for each job….
WindsorOntario
So what about the gay people who don’t have any money or live on disability? We’re only worthy of rights and protections if we have money? The gay people without resources get nothing? It’s THAT kind of snobbery that non-gay society sees and decides to pull this bullshit on us – ‘they don’t have to worry about kids or relationships and they have doctorate degrees and all that money so how can they be worried about civil rights when they’re doing better than I am?!’ – that’s what they’re thinking.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
If you look above I 1000% condemn any of these vile smcubags who deny service to ANY Gay because what is written in a book of fairy tales. However I pointed out how utterly stupid these business owners are to deny service to customers which tend to spend much more than the average customers
Juanjo
There are two things that always come to mind when fundies claim that their religious views prevent them from serving gay people. The fact is that their own scripture says something a bit different. The first is in 1 Corinthians 5:12 – “Why should I judge outsiders? Aren’t we supposed to judge only church members? ” The context of the quote is clear. he criticizes the people of Corinth for going around judging their pagan neighbors and refusing to do business with them, all while ignoring all the nastiness the members of the church are getting up to.
The second passage is the story of the Centurion and his “servant boy” [Matthew 8:15-13, Luke 7: 1-10]. As you may recall, the story relates that a Roman Centurion shows up at a house where Jesus is going to spend the evening. He tells Jesus his entimos doulos or entimos pais depending on the version is dying and he pleads with Jesus to heal him. Entimos means beloved [honored, valued] slave [doulos] or pais [boy]. The context is pretty clear in the original Greek – the boy is a personal slave to the Centurion. Since Roman soldiers were not allowed to marry while in the service, they often had personal slaves, male or female. who cared for their kit, fixed their food, bathed them, and satisfied other more personal needs as well. Jesus agrees and heals the boy. So here is Jesus not telling anyone to drop dead because he doesn’t heal gay butt boys but simply doing the act of healing.
LetsGetLit
He did mention that he likes to hang out with his gay friends and do videos….hrrmm.
DCguy
Being LGBT or Black or Latino, or a Woman, or Asian is something we are born into.
Being Religious and hating somebody in one or more of those groups is a simple bigoted choice and an opinion.
This guy has already violated the Bible by cutting his hair, so I don’t want to hear that he’s using the Bible to justify the fact that he hates LGBT people.
jcoberkrom
Always remember what Jesus of Nazareth said about homosexuality, and I quote, ” . . . .. . ”
That’s right he said NOTHING. So if it was so unimportant to him why is it so important to this man?
QueerTruth
Part of me feels this article gives them press and fame. I say deny them of both.