Illinois inn fined with $80,000 for refusing to host gay civil union ceremony

The Illinois Human Rights Commission fined $80,000 on an inn that declined to host a civil-union ceremony for a same-sex couple. The couple claimed that the inn told them that "homosexuality is immoral and unnatural."

According to Reuters, an administrative law judge with the commission ordered TimberCreek Bed & Breakfast to shell off $15,000 each to Todd and Mark Wathen. The charge was passed after the inn refused to host the couple's civil union and for causing emotional distress to the couple.

The couple had contacted TimberCreek in 2011 as they looked for possible settings for their gay civil union ceremony. However, the inn declined their request to possibly host their ceremony.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois revealed that TimberCreek owner, Jim Walder, had responded to Todd and Mark Wathen's inquiry with an email. The inn stated, "homosexuality is immoral and unnatural."

The same- sex marriage was approved in June 2015 by the Supreme Court. Still, a lot of people and even establishments in the different states in the U.S. are continuously condemning the marriage of two same-sex individuals.  

Raw Story reported that TimberCreek, which is situated approximately 100 miles south of Chicago, must also pay $50,000 for the attorney's fees and $1,218.35 for other costs. With that, the couple expressed their dismay towards the inn's discrimination towards gay couples.

Todd Wathen, who was very vocal about how disappointed he was and at the same time pleased that TimberCreek was charged with $80,000. "We are very happy that no other couple will have to experience what we experienced by being turned away and belittled and criticized for who we are," Todd Wathen mentioned in a statement via the StreetInsider.

Meanwhile, a representative from TimberCreek was not immediately available to comment regarding the issue. Even the inn's owner, Jim Walder, refused to release any statement after the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois' ruling.

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Illinois, Chicago Illinois, Illinois news, Illinois updates, Illinois LGBT community, Illinois same sex marriage, Illinois same sex marriage law, Illinois inns, Illinois inn fined after refusing to host gay civil union ceremony, Illinois inn fined after refusing to host same sex marriage ceremony

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