Sasha-Lee Heekes and Megan Watling, the engaged same-sex couple turned away by the Beloftebos wedding venue, are going to the courts to fight for their right to equality and dignity.

“After consulting with our legal team, they confirmed that the conduct of Beloftebos was indeed in contravention of the Constitution and the PEPUDA (Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination) Act,” the women said in a statement on Thursday. “We will, therefore, be instituting action against them in the Equality Division of the Western Cape High Court. Our legal team will be in touch with their lawyers and papers in this regard will be filed in the next few weeks.”

The couple has indicated that they are prepared to take the matter to the Constitutional Court if they can secure funding to do so.

Heekes, 24, and Watling, 25, commented that “This is far bigger than feeling hurt about a wedding venue. It is a question of human rights and equality before the law, regardless of sexual orientation.

They added: “We do not embrace negativity, but we do believe in the values of our Constitution and the ideals set out in its preamble. In this instance, we feel that this part is particularly apt: ‘to heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights’.”

Heekes and Watling approached Beloftebos in the Western Cape village of Stanford as a possible venue for their wedding after getting engaged in December. The owner, Coia de Villiers, told them that “based on our personal beliefs, we do not host weddings between couples of the same gender.” Read more via Mamba