A Colorado church canceled the funeral of a lesbian woman 15 minutes after it was scheduled to begin, television station KUSA reported on Tuesday.
Vanessa Collier’s funeral at New Hope Ministries in Lakewood, Colo. was reportedly canceled when the church refused to play a video that had photos of Collier’s proposal to her wife.
The cancelation occurred after the open casket and flowers were set up and approximately 170 people had already gathered in the church, according to KUSA.
The church’s refusal to hold the funeral prompted a protest on Tuesday led by Collier’s family and friends who rallied around the message of “Dignity in Death.”
Chaplain Gary Rolando eventually presided over the funeral, which was moved to the mortuary across from the church, and told KUSA he lamented the protests, which he viewed as pushing an agenda.
“My prayer is the same as that of New Hope Ministry and Newcomer Mortuary: That the Collier family will be able to move forward from here in healing and peace,” Rolando said.
KUSA attempted to reach New Hope Ministries but officials there declined to comment.
The 33-year-old Collier died after her gun accidentally went off while she was cleaning it, KUSA reported. She left behind her wife and their two children.
