Video: Wildflower Inn Owners Appear in Anti-Same Sex Marriage Ad in Maine

Switch to the mobile version of this page.

Get Tickets | Pet Memorials | Legal Notices | Shop Local |

Search:
Username
- Sign in

Vermont's Independent Voice

Seven Days

Special Reports

Pubs+More

Archives | RSS

Monday, October 22, 2012

News / Video Video: Wildflower Inn Owners Appear in Anti-Same Sex Marriage Ad in Maine

Posted By Tyler Machado on Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 1:52 PM

Facebook

Twitter

Reddit

Email

Last year, a lesbian couple sued the Wildflower Inn in Lyndonville when it refused to host the couple's wedding reception due to the owners' religious beliefs. That case came to an end this summer, when the inn agreed to pay $30,000 as a part of a settlement with the couple.

Now Jim and Mary O'Reilly, the owners of the Wildflower Inn, are appearing in a TV ad opposing same-sex marriage in Maine, where voters will decide whether to overturn the state's same-sex marriage ban on Election Day. "A lesbian couple sued us for not supporting their gay wedding because of our Christian beliefs," Jim says in the ad, which was paid for by a group called Protect Marriage Maine.

The Portland Press Herald calls the ad "misleading" and "mostly false," since the innkeepers were sued for breaking a 1992 anti-discrimination law, not the 2009 same-sex marriage law. Watch it for yourself below.

Comments (6)

Showing 1-6 of 6

Comments are closed.

Since 2014, Seven Days has allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we’ve appreciated the suggestions and insights, the time has come to shut them down — at least temporarily.

While we champion free speech, facts are a matter of life and death during the coronavirus pandemic, and right now Seven Days is prioritizing the production of responsible journalism over moderating online debates between readers.

To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor. Or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.

Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.

About The Author

Tyler Machado

[email protected]

facebook.com/tyler.machado

@TylerMachado

Bio:
Tyler Machado was the digital media manager at Seven Days. He mostly worked behind the scenes making sure the website, email newsletters and social media feeds stayed in tip-top shape.