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St. Landry Parish family refused funeral service over their sexuality

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Posted at 9:46 PM, Apr 02, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-03 13:39:10-04

MELVILLE, La. — A St. Landry Parish family is claiming they were discriminated against for being gay.

It all happened as the family was trying to fulfill their loved ones dying wish to have her grandson and his partner carry her casket.

Brooke Orgeron says it was her grandmother's wish to have her grandson and his partner as pallbearers at her funeral.

She says minutes before the funeral service, the pastor of First Pentecostal Church in Melville told the family that gay couples could not be a part of the service.

"She was part of that church for 60 years at least and for something that's not even a service, when everyone should be welcomed, this was a problem," said granddaughter Brooke Orgeron.

The family moved the service to another church that same night where all family members were able to be a part of the service.

Although the service happened as their loved one wished, they say it angers them it couldn't happen in the place where she worshiped for so many decades.

"It's very frustrating because she accepted us, she had no problem with us,” Orgeron added. "We didn't push our sexuality on her. She didn't push her religion on me. She was my grandmother. It was just ridiculous to have it go down that way."

We did reach out to the reverend of the church for comment, but have not yet received a response.

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