- An
Ontario couple received an email from a local videography business refusing to shoot their wedding because they were in a same-sex relationship. - After one of the women shared a screenshot of the email online, Caramount Pictures was flooded with negative reviews.
- "I say this with much care, because I know that your union is incredibly important to you, but we do not film homosexual
weddings ," the email read.
An Ontario couple was on the hunt for a videographer to shoot their wedding when they came across Caramount Pictures.
Kelly Roberts, 26, reached out to the company this past weekend to see if it might be interested in filming their nuptials next year. She was shocked by the response she received from the company's owner, Cara Hamstra, Roberts told The Star.
"I say this with much care, because I know that your union is incredibly important to you, but we do not film homosexual weddings," Hamstra said in the email.
The Ontario Human Rights Code says that "every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination" because of their sexual orientation or other factors.
Speaking to the Star, Roberts and her partner, Mallory Arthur, said they were surprised that the woman didn't try to hide her prejudice by making up an excuse for not being able to shoot the wedding.
"The fact that she didn't even try to mask her homophobia … in writing — I think that was the shocking part," Roberts said told the Star.
The couple had previously been turned away by an officiant who cited his religious beliefs, according to the Star.
Robert's screenshot of the email on Facebook went viral and has been shared more than 4,000 times. The couple has also been flooded with suggestions for LGBTQ-friendly wedding vendors in Ontario.
Caramount Pictures has also seen a spike in negative reviews since the screenshot was shared. The rating of a Yelp page associated with the company has been pushed down to 1 1/2 stars.
Social media pages and websites for Caramount Pictures have been removed. Cara Hamstra didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
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