Downtown Centralia eatery JJ's ToGo issued a statement on Sunday after facing sharp criticism online for refusing to cater the wedding of a same-sex couple.
The decision by the restaurant sparked anger and frustration from many — along with messages of support from some — after Ali Duncan first wrote about the matter in a Facebook post on Saturday.
The business issued a statement Sunday, attributing the decision to religious beliefs.
Protesters gathered at the business on Monday morning holding signs decrying the decision by JJ’s ToGo while diners who were supportive of the business ate inside.
Duncan said the decision was "hurtful and shocking." She also said it was illegal.
“This afternoon my daughter Ryah Calkins and her fiancé Lillian Glover entered a restaurant in Centralia, Washington known as JJ’s TO GO,” Duncan wrote. “It was an exciting event for them as they were meeting with the owner to pay with cash, in full, for the catering of their wedding in January. As they were approached by the owner, she looked at them both and upon noticing they were both female, she proceeded to tell them she was refusing service for the catering services they had previously agreed upon….because Lili and Ryah are same sex partners. Other than the fact that this was completely hurtful and shocking to the girls, it is also ILLEGAL IN WASHINGTON STATE.”
While the couple now lives in the Seattle area, both women grew up in Lewis County, with Glover graduating from Adna High School and Calkins graduating from W.F. West High School in Chehalis.
“Even living in that town our whole lives, we’ve never experienced something so blatant to our face, that blatant discrimination, and it was really a stain on something that was supposed to be super exciting and hopeful for us,” Calkins told a Chronicle reporter on Monday.
The couple is working on filing complaints with the Washington state Human Rights Commission and the Washington state Attorney General’s Office, Calkins and Duncan confirmed.
“It’s a simple and shocking case of illegal discrimination in Washington state. And at the end of the day, we just want the business owners held accountable,” Calkins said.
The Washington Law Against Discrimination prohibits discrimination in public accommodations, which includes gender identity and sexual orientation. Religious beliefs do not provide an exemption under the law.
In a “Guide to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and the Washington State Law Against Discrimination” last updated in 2014, the Washington state Human Rights Commission clarifies that businesses that offer wedding services, such as caterers, wedding planners and photographers, are prohibited from limiting their services to heterosexual couples.
“These are places of public accommodation and must provide their services on a non-discriminatory basis to all couples,” the commission states.
In 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court denied review of a state lawsuit against a Washington florist for violating the Washington Consumer Protection Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination by refusing to serve a couple seeking to buy flowers in 2013.
“This is a historic victory for equality,” Attorney General Bob Ferguson stated at the time. “Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is not only wrong — it’s unlawful. Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court puts an end to our case, and sends a message to the entire country that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, should be treated equally under the law.”
In other cases outside of Washington state, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled for businesses in similar situations.
“On a 6-3 ideological split, the Supreme Court sided with an evangelical Christian website designer who does not want to create sites for same-sex weddings, even though a Colorado anti-discrimination law would require her to,” PBS reported in June 2023. “The court said the First Amendment protects her from creating sites for things she doesn’t believe in.”
In another case, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado cake shop that refused to provide a wedding cake to a same-sex couple.
Over the weekend, the response online was largely critical of JJ's ToGo. Dozens of reviewers blasted the business and accused it of bigotry and homophobia. A majority of commenters on the business's Facebook page and in the comments of Duncan's post opposed the decision, though others offered support.
On Sunday, JJ’s ToGo issued a statement attributing the decision not to cater the wedding as one based on deeply held religious beliefs.
“Every decision that is made is based on our faith in Jesus Christ,” wrote owners Jessica and Devin Britton. “Every creative idea or business decision is prayed about and discussed with every member of management before it is finalized. We publicly dedicated our business to God in front of so many of you and asked Him to make us His vessels and nothing more.”
The Brittons said they publicly “apologize to Rya and Lily for any inconvenience that has caused in their wedding planning. It is extremely important to us that you both know we love you. And our decision to say no to this event is actually for your benefit. You should have someone catering your event that supports and can celebrate your union.”
The Brittons claimed they have been the victims of threats following the original post about their refusal to cater the wedding.
“Speaking on behalf of myself, my daughter Ryah, her fiancée Lili, and our entire extended family, we wish to emphasize that we categorically reject and condemn any retaliatory physical actions against JJs TO GO, its owner, employees, or family, including property destruction, physical harm, or hate speech,” Duncan wrote on Facebook prior to the statement by the Brittons. “We recognize the inherent right of every American to hold their own opinions, beliefs, and values. Nevertheless, we maintain that denial of service based on discrimination is unacceptable. We encourage supporting inclusive businesses through deliberate spending decisions.”
Calkins reiterated Monday that she and her fianceé oppose any violent or hateful threats or actions against JJ’s ToGo, its owners and its employees.
“It’s not something that we support, regardless of how we were treated. Two wrongs don’t make a right.” Calkins said, adding that she and her fianceé’s dispute with JJ’s ToGo is not political.
“It isn’t a matter of opinion or religion. It’s just the law. It’s really that simple.”
Duncan wrote that the business owners made their decision after meeting the couple when they arrived to pay for catering service for their wedding, which had already been negotiated.
“The girls scheduled an agreed upon date and time to meet with Jessica at the restaurant to hand over cash in full for the catering of their wedding in January,” she wrote. “The girls ordered coffee as they waited. When they were finally approached by Jessica, the owner, they proceeded to shake her hand. Much to their surprise, what was supposed to be one of the most exciting wedding planning finalizations turned into a devastating, ILLEGAL nightmare within seconds. Noticing that the girls were a same sex couple. Jessica proceeded to apologize and tell them she could no longer (cater) their wedding for them. Not understanding, my daughter responded by asking if there had been a double booking mistake. Jessica responded by telling them upon the opening of (JJ’s To Go), they decided they would not be offering services to same sex couples therefore she can’t commit to catering the wedding.”
Calkins and Glover had been communicating with both JJ’s ToGo and The Crowded Kitchen Catering Co., which is based in Toledo, about quotes for catering their wedding, but had decided to go with JJ’s.
“We love JJ’s. We love their food, and we really just wanted to share that with everybody who loved us at our wedding,” Calkins said. “It’s sad that that couldn’t occur. It was really hard for us.”
The couple reached out to The Crowded Kitchen on Saturday after the incident with JJ’s ToGo and set up a meeting with owners Lorinne and Keith Birdwell for the next day.
“Literally, the second from shaking her and her husband’s hand, it was just like I immediately knew they accepted us regardless of who they were. It felt like family on the spot,” Calkins said, adding that Birdwells and The Crowded Kitchen staff have gone “above and beyond” to show “that they wanted to make this the best as they could for us.”
“I love everyone, do not judge because I am not the judge of anyone! I have my beliefs, my faith (which is strong) and I respect anyone that is different from me,” Lorinne Birdwell said in a Facebook post on Sunday. “This has been a day of asking myself, ‘how do I do this’ without making it any more than a couple that wants amazing food at their wedding, well that is exactly what I did! Met this beautiful couple that had my heart from HELLO! I have always and will always support my faith, my beliefs and my path but this is business and I will support this couple in their amazing menu and we will rock it!”
Calkins said she and her fianceé want to use the publicity of this incident to highlight the supportive people and businesses in the community.
“This whole thing demonstrated that there’s clearly still discrimination against same-sex partners such as us, and there probably always will be, (but) it’s far outweighed by those who understand and accept that everyone has a right to love who they want,” Calkins said. “The support that we’ve received in the last 48 hours has shown just how far we’ve come in accepting things like love.”
