A Lakewood, Colorado, family is outraged after a pastor abruptly stopped a funeral he was officiating because the deceased woman was gay.
Family and friends of 33-year-old Vanessa Collier say Pastor Ray Chavez abruptly halted the service and informed them that as long as pictures of Collier and her spouse, Christina, with whom she shared two children, were on display, he could not continue the funeral.
Stunned loved ones immediately picked up everything from the floral arrangements to Collier’s casket and moved the service to a mortuary across the street.
.”It was humiliating,” said Collier’s longtime friend, Victoria Quintana. “It was devastating.”
Dozens of protesters have gathered outside New Hope Ministries in the days since the incident with repeated chants of “Give us an apology!” and “Shame on Pastor Ray!”. The church has since hired security guards to keep watch.
According to Collier’s family, a video of remembrance featuring images of Collier hugging and kissing her wife was given to the church more than a week before the services. The family says if the Chavez felt so strongly, he should have spoken up sooner
Collier’s family says the church has yet to reimburse them for the prematurely halted funeral.
A rep for the church has declined to comment on the incident.
