Michigan Wedding Venue Comes Under Heavy Criticism for Banning LGBTQ Couples

A newly-opened venue in West Michigan has taken a stand against LGBTQ couples getting married at the facility and as you may imagine, the backlash has been severe.

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Vague Statement Regarding Venue's Policy

The Broadway Avenue in Grand Rapids opened in June of this year. The venue's owners Nick and Hannah Natale didn't initially advertise its anti-LGBTQ policy, but rather made a veiled statement on Instagram after hosting its first event.

“Our business is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication and is a reflection of who we are, and the values and beliefs we hold from our faith in Jesus Christ,” the owners said in their post. ”As a result, we would like our business to remain true to our Christian faith and this includes marriage.”

Some who saw the post questioned its vague meaning and asked for clarification in the comments section.

It was at that time when the owners made their assertion that gay and lesbian couples would not be welcomed to hold weddings at the venue.

“The two people that are getting married at our venue must be a man and a woman.”

Owners Facing Backlash

The couple's Instagram page has since been flooded with comments, many of them criticizing the venue's anti-LGBTQ policy.

“I think we knew it was going to be a very controversial decision for us to run our business based on our faith and our belief in God and what we believe marriage looks like through the Bible," Nick Natale tells WOOD-TV. "The hardest part has been the real nasty stuff we’ve been getting: death threats, malicious words to our children, attacking personal pages, other family members, friends."