Sasha-Lee Heekes and Megan Watling, who were refused access to Beloftebos as a wedding venue because they are a same-sex couple and the owners say supporting a same-sex marriage is against their Christian beliefs, have intervened in Human Rights Commission (HRC) action against the venue.

In March, the HRC sent an application to the High Court, functioning as an Equality Court, arguing that Beloftebos was discriminating against couples based on gender and sexual orientation.

Beloftebos filed a counter application on 19 May, claiming that their right to freedom of religion and belief allows them to deny their services to same-sex couples.

A Daily Maverick report says Heekes and Watling decided to file an intervening application on Beloftebos’ counter application on 3 September, as they felt the case directly affected the course of action they were planning on taking – to hold Beloftebos accountable under the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act.

The Beloftebos counter application stated that the couple who run Beloftebos, Coia and Andries de Villiers, believe their right to freedom of religion and belief was not respected by the HRC, and that they are being unfairly discriminated against. They say they are Christians and believe marriage is reserved for heterosexual couples.

The relief they sought was for section 14 of Pepuda to be deemed unconstitutional.

The HRC is applying on behalf of Alexandra Thorne and Alex Lu, a same-sex couple who had previously also been denied service by Beloftebos.

Heekes and Watling want the court to order it is unlawful to discriminate against somebody based on their sex, gender or sexual orientation by refusing to offer services relating to the hiring and decoration of a wedding venue, wedding-day coordination, wedding planning, floristry and flower arrangements, and catering.

They also want an order that declares the use of expression of religious beliefs as a reason to not associate with or conduct business with a same-sex couple, to be discrimination.

Additionally, notes the DM report, they want an apology, the payment of their application costs and R2m donated to their charity of choice.

The amount in damages is for ‘the impairment of dignity, pain and suffering as a result of the unfair discrimination against us’, said Heekes.

Full Daily Maverick report