US photographer donates anti-gay marriage customer’s deposit to GLAAD

A Florida-based photographer has shared an exchange with a customer who cancelled her business with him after he spoke out in favour of gay marriage.

Clinton Brentwood Lee, who runs Brentwood Photography, had been booked for the unidentified customer’s wedding, but received a message cancelling following the landmark SCOTUS ruling on Friday.

She stated that as she and her fiancé “support traditional marriage between a man and a woman” they did not want their money “going to a place that supports otherwise”. She also asked how the couple could get their deposit of $1,500 back.

In his reply, Brentwood Lee stated: “I would say this disappoints me, but I actually find this to be a good thing because our company would now not like to work with you as well.

“It’s not because you have a different view from us, but it’s because, since you don’t like and support gay marriage, no one else should be able to have it. That’s like me not liking broccoli, and demanding that everyone else in the world should not have broccoli either!”

Responding to the request to receive her deposit back, the photographer told the customer to “read the first article in the contract you signed stating that this is nonrefundable.”

He continued: “But don’t worry I’m not going to keep it! I have decided to donate your $1500 to GLAAD, a group created to help and support gay rights. So let me be the first to say thank you very much for your donation and support for this great cause!”

Sharing the image to Facebook, he admitted that he was still “in shock” by the exchange, but said that he felt he had “handled this right”.

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