Same-sex shindigs: farmers fined.

• Author: Brown, Elizabeth Nolan
• Position: Citings - Robert and Cynthia Gifford - Brief article

There are a plethora of places to get married in and around Albany, New York. In Liberty Ridge Farm, Jennie McCarthy and her fiancee Melisa thought they had found the perfect venue. But when they inquired about renting out Liberty Ridge's barn for their wedding, they were rebuffed: The owners, Robert and Cynthia Gifford, do not host weddings for same-sex couples. The Giffords explained that this policy was based on religious beliefs that marriage should only be for heterosexuals.

Finding this rejection "heartbreaking," Melisa and Jennie filed a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights. Because of this blow, the women "were so upset that they stopped looking for wedding venues for several months." They eventually found another farm venue nearby, however, and...