A district judge dismissed a lawsuit against a Sunset Hills retirement community today.

Mary Walsh and Beverly Nance took Friendship Village to federal court for sex discrimination in July, after the senior-living facility denied the same-sex couple’s housing application. Friendship Village cited its ‘Cohabitation Policy’ as the reason for the rejection. The policy defines marriage as between one man and one woman, as “marriage is understood in the Bible.”

"We are disappointed by the court’s decision,” Walsh said in a statement. “Bev and I are considering our next steps, and will discuss this with our attorneys.”

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination against renters or homebuyers due to “race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin.”

The ACLU of Missouri and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which represents the plaintiffs in the case, argued that Friendship Village discriminated against the couple on the basis of sex. Read more via St Louis Public Radio