Lesbian Couple Awarded Damages After Catholic Group Refuses To Rent Hall

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon05/11/112905bcSuit.htm

Two lesbians have been awarded damages after a Knights of Columbus hall cancelled their wedding reception because it was a gay event.

The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal said the men's Roman Catholic facility could have refused to host the party based on religious beliefs. But the tribunal also ruled Tuesday that the Knights of Columbus did so in a way that caused the complainants undue hardship.

"The Knights could have taken steps such as meeting with the complainants to explain the situation, formally apologizing, immediately offering to reimburse the complainants for any expenses they had incurred and, perhaps, offering assistance in finding another solution," the tribunal said in a written decision.

"There may have been other options they could have considered without infringing their core religious beliefs."