Minister to sue hotel over ‘humiliating’ cancellation of event to defend traditional marriage

Rev Harry Coulter, of Carrickfergus Reformed Presbyterian, is also suing the Balmoral Hotel, Dunmurry for breach of contract after his gathering in support of traditional marriage was abruptly ended in October last year.

As first reported in the News Letter earlier this month, Rev Coulter had hired the hotel’s grand ballroom for the Marriage Matters event which was attended by more than 50 people.

He said he has written to the hotel twice but has not had any confirmation that the actions of staff are being investigated.

“We were subjected to the humiliating experience of being targeted for our beliefs and opinions,” he said yesterday.

He said supporters and well-wishers had expressed sympathy, and told him: “We are going to be gagged as Christians from expressing what is the Biblical viewpoint – that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

Recalling his experience at the hotel, he said: “I felt humiliated. I actually felt like a criminal, that I had done something wrong ... yet I knew in my heart of hearts that I had not broken the law “.

A solicitor’s letter, notifying the hotel of the minister’s intention to seek legal redress, said: “It is clear... our client was the victim of discrimination by you.”

Rev Coulter is being supported by The Christian Institute. The CI successfully backed Ashers Baking Co. in the so-called ‘gay cake’ case which was eventually settled in the UK Supreme Court in the bakery’s favour.

CI spokesman Simon Calvert said: “We’ve got to put an end to what we consider to be attempts to punish people for believing in one man-one woman marriage.”

The News Letter invited the hotel to comment on the claims but, to date, it has declined to do so.