Specter of Kashrut makes venues shy of same-sex weddings

[azurnoir]

The Chief Rabbinate and local rabbis may not condition the granting of kashrut licenses on matters unrelated to whether Jewish dietary law has been met, according to the law on fraud. This has become a hot potato issue with halls maintaining kosher facilities reportedly hesitant to serve as the venue for same-sex wedding celebrations. They fear their kashrut licenses will be revoked.

<snip>

Recently Hagar Comay sought out a facility for her wedding celebration with her same-sex partner. She said a restaurant in Nes Harim, Pichonka, put her off repeatedly by saying no dates were available. She asked a male friend to pose as a potential customer as she suspected that the a same-sex wedding was probably the reason she was being rebuffed. One of the owners later admitted, Comay said, that he could not endanger his kashrut certification over her celebration. However, he later told Haaretz that Comay was not refused over the issue of kashrut certification, that he had only said there was sensitivity at his establishment over the issue of weddings because of his religious clientele.

"That's what was said in the conversation and that's it." The restaurant's lawyer, Eli Katz, said the restaurant has a traditional observant clientele and because the request from Comay would have involved hosting her event while the restaurant would be open to other diners, "it could hurt the feelings of the diners at the location," but he invited Comay and her partner to dine at the restaurant.

An owner of several party centers elsewhere in the country admitted some facilities are afraid to host same-sex wedding celebrations out of concern it would affect their kashrut certification. Although it is illegal to deny access to public facilities on the basis of sexual orientation, there is an exception if refusal is required due to the "nature or substance of the product, the public service or the public site."

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/specter-of-kashrut-makes-venues-shy-of-same-sex-weddings-1.355625

[King_David]

1. Disgraceful. Happens in Canada too.

Knights of Columbus targeted for same-sex human rights complaint
Published: Tuesday, March 29, 2005, 12:58 pm | Author: Mike Mastromatteo


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At issue is the rental of a Knights of Columbus hall in Port Coquitlam, B.C. for a lesbian wedding reception. The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic men’s fraternal organization.

The lesbian couple attempted to rent the hall back in 2003, and while the local Knights initially agreed to the rental, they cancelled the contract when they discovered the reception planned would be a same-sex “wedding.”

The lesbian couple and their lawyer argue that it is discriminatory to offer a facility to the public and then say a particular group can’t use it.

According to officials with the local Knights council, the couple who first approached the Knights about renting the hall made no indication that it would be a same-sex “wedding” reception, and that they in particular were the “marriage” partners.

As a Catholic church-affiliated organization, the use of the hall for a same-sex wedding reception is at odds with a basic tenet of church teaching.

http://www.theinterim.com/issues/marriage-family/knights-of-columbus-targeted-for-same-sex-human-rights-complaint/

[King_David]

2. Unfortuanatly this story is only too commen in the Gay Enlightened Counntries

http://www.theinterim.com/issues/marriage-family/knights-of-columbus-targeted-for-same-sex-human-rights-complaint/


I do not think this is a 'problem' in Gaza or Iran or Jordan or Lebanon or Dubai etc