A wedding venue in Minnesota that
turned away a gay couple has agreed to pay for the couple's entire
wedding and reception in a different location.
LeBlanc's Rice Creek Lodge initially
agreed to host a wedding for Cole Frey, 20, and Adam Block, 18. But
when Frey appeared to provide a security deposit and management
realized the wedding was for two men, Frey was turned away.
Minnesota lawmakers approved a gay
marriage law in 2013 after voters rejected a constitutional amendment
which sought to exclude gay couples from marriage. Discrimination in
public accommodations based on sexual orientation is prohibited in
Minnesota.
The couple filed a complaint with the
Minnesota Department of Human Rights, the Star-Tribune
reported.
Following the state's investigation,
the owners of Rice Creek Lodge agreed to pay approximately $8,500 to
cover the cost of the wedding and reception to be held at a different
location.
“They made a mistake,” an attorney
representing the owners of the lodge said. “And we did everything
in our power to correct it. This couple is going to have a great
wedding and I can assure you LeBlanc's is going to be open to
everybody.”