The battle continues for same-sex couple Megan Watling and Sasha-Lee Heekes. The pair are facing off in court against Western Cape wedding venue Beloftebos, who made headlines in January for refusing to host their same-sex wedding ceremony on religious grounds.

The couple are now seeking R2-million in damages, which they plan to donate to charity. Court papers filed in the Equality court reveal that Watling and Heekes are suing Beloftebos owners Andries and Coia de Villiers for the impairment of dignity, pain and suffering due to unfair discrimination against them.

The brides-to-be also want the court to declare the venue’s refusal to host same-sex weddings as unfair discrimination, and thus unlawful and unconstitutional. They are seeking an unconditional apology from the venue, in which they acknowledge the harm they have caused.

The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) launched an application against the owners in March, following several complaints about the venue. The Comissioner, André Gaum, explained that the outcome they hoped to achieve includes that the venue’s policy be declared discriminatory, and that they are forced to host same-sex marriages. He said that the policy is unconstitutional and amounts to unfair discrimination.

Back in May, Beloftebos filed their own papers claiming that they were discriminated against by the SAHRC. The owners of the establishment claimed that they had filed papers with the Equality Court, opposing the fact that they have discriminated against LGBTI+ people. This means they are arguing that their policy which states that they will not host same-sex weddings, is not discriminatory.

Michael Swain, executive director of Freedom of Religion South Africa said that Beloftebos are “asking the Equality Court to find that the SAHRC unfairly discriminated against them on grounds of conscience, religion and belief, and that the commission is biased and prejudiced in its treatment of them and their belief system”.

Feature image: Facebook / Beloftebos