#alternate (BUTTON) ____________________ * Accessibility for screenreader * Sign In * Username * PostTV * Politics * Opinions * Local * Sports * National * World * Business * Tech * Lifestyle * Entertainment * Classifieds * Jobs * Real Estate * Events * Rentals * Cars * WP BrandConnect * Subscribe * Newsletters & Alerts washingtonpost.com © 1996-2015 The Washington Post Help and Contact Us Terms of Service Privacy Policy Submissions and Discussion Policy RSS Terms of Service Ad Choices Sections The Washington Post Despite gay marriage rulings, some Elvis-themed Vegas chapels doing it their way ____________________ (BUTTON) Sign In Username Subscribe Morning Mix Despite gay marriage rulings, some Elvis-themed Vegas chapels doing it their way Share on Facebook Share on Whatsapp [+AObPwGxY9EFMAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC] Share on Twitter Share on Google Plus Share via Email More Options Share via Email Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Google Plus Share on LinkedIn Share on Tumblr Resize Text Print Article Comments By Gail Sullivan October 20, 2014 Follow @g_forcewinds After a California federal appeals court declared same-sex marriage legal in Nevada earlier this month, the wedding capital of the world welcomed gay couples with open arms. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority bought a full-page USA Today ad featuring a wedding cake with two grooms on top looking out over the Vegas cityscape. The tagline: “Now you can say ‘I do’ to one more thing here.” The city also has a Web site devoted to gay travel. But a handful of Sin City’s dozens of wedding chapels have been turning gay couples away. “My faith won’t allow it,” Dolly Deleon told 8 News Now. Deleon said she is a born-again believer in Jesus in addition to owning the Vegas Wed Chapel, a 24-hour, one-stop wedding shop a block from the hard-partying Vegas strip where lovebirds can hire hula dancers and have an Elvis impersonator bless their unions. “I would be a hypocrite if I said I’m a Bible-believing person and yet I would perform marriage that believe is solely against God’s law,” Deleon said. The Elvis Wedding Chapel, which offers “Blue Hawaii” and “Elvis in Concert” as themes for couples looking to formalize their commitment, also refuses to serve same-sex couples. A man identified only as David would not explain the policy to 8 News Now. “There is no story here,” he said as he refused to open the door to the TV station and their cameras. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, for-profit wedding chapels that turn away gay couples could be charged with a misdemeanor. The organization explained exceptions to the law only apply to religious institutions. “The difference between a church and a place of worship and a wedding chapel is that a wedding chapel is a business so that is covered under the Public Accommodations Law of Nevada,” Tod Story of the ACLU told News 8. Meanwhile, laws banning discrimination in public accommodation have required bakers, photographers and other businesses that provide wedding-related services to serve gay customers. In Idaho, where gay marriage also recently became legal, a religious liberty group, Alliance Defending, filed a lawsuit Friday on behalf of two ordained ministers who don’t want to perform same-sex marriages at their for-profit wedding chapel. Since it’s not a church, the chapel likely falls under the state’s public accommodation law, Coeur d’Alene city attorney Warren Wilson told the Idaho Spokesman-Review. Donald and Evelyn Knapp, who operate the Hitching Post, face 180 days in jail and up to $1,000 for turning gay couples away. The complaint argues applying the law to the Knapps is unconstitutional and would violate the Free Exercise of Religion Protected Act, a state law that protects free exercise of religion absent a compelling government interest. The law even protects religion when the “burden” is imposed by another state law — in this case, the public accommodation act. Unlike the quickie wedding chapels typical of Las Vegas, the Hitching Post’s officiants are ordained clergy, and they say their ceremonies are religious in nature. U.C.L.A. Law professor Eugene Volokh, who has previously sided in litigation with a photographer who refused to photograph a gay wedding, thinks the Knapps will prevail on both the constitutional and state law arguments. “I find it hard to see a compelling government interest in barring sexual orientation discrimination by ministers officiating in a chapel,” Volokh wrote in a recent post in his “Volokh Conspiracy” blog that runs in The Washington Post. “Whatever interests there may be in equal access to jobs, to education, or even in most public accommodations, I don’t see how there would be a ‘compelling’ government interest in preventing discrimination in the provision of ceremonies, especially ceremonies conducted by ministers in chapels.” [Gail-Sullivan.jpg&h=180&w=180] Gail Sullivan covers business for the Morning Mix blog. * Share on FacebookShare * Share on TwitterTweet Comments Show Comments Discussion Policy Comments SuperFan Badge SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams. More about badges | Request a badge Culture Connoisseur Badge Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment. More about badges | Request a badge Fact Checker Badge Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker. More about badges | Request a badge Washingtologist Badge Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area. More about badges | Request a badge Post Writer Badge This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer. Post Forum Badge Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs. More about badges | Request a badge Weather Watcher Badge Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts. More about badges | Request a badge World Watcher Badge World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs. More about badges | Request a badge Post Contributor Badge This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story. More about badges | Request a badge Post Recommended Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post. You must be logged in to report a comment. Sign in here You must be logged in to recommend a comment. Sign in here Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers. All comments are posted in the All Comments tab. More about badges Get a badge To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in. Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers. * Spam * Offensive * Disagree * Off-Topic * + Facebook + Twitter + Reddit + StumbleUpon + Digg + Delicious Sign up for Morning Mix Get the daily newsletter from Morning Mix. ____________________ Sign Up Please enter a valid email address Most Read National * 1 [Free_Philips_Lifeline_for_Oldest_U_image_982w.jpg] [Free_Philips_Lifeline_for_Oldest_U_image_982w.jpg] Meet America's oldest living vet. He smokes cigars, does yard work, drives and drinks whiskey. And he's 108. * 2 [RTR3DB0P_image_982w.jpg] [RTR3DB0P_image_982w.jpg] Trial of Eddie Routh, killer of Chris Kyle, will be darkest chapter of 'American Sniper' * 3 [Sniper_Author_Shooting-03405.jpg] [Sniper_Author_Shooting-03405.jpg] The 'unverifiable' legacy of Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in American history * 4 [DV1936103.jpg] [DV1936103.jpg] The long-unanswered riddle of why zebras have stripes * 5 [puzzlephone.jpg] [puzzlephone.jpg] This device thinks it can be the last smartphone you will ever need The Most Popular All Over * [5320565b7875a.preview-300.jpg&h=60&w=60] [5320565b7875a.preview-300.jpg&h=92&w=138] St. Louis Post-Dispatch Summer Rocks concert series in St. Louis stalls; won't begin in May * [150123_BB_AS.jpg.CROP.rectangle-large.jpg&h=60&w=60] [150123_BB_AS.jpg.CROP.rectangle-large.jpg&h=92&w=138] Slate How Accurate Is American Sniper? We’ve Separated Fact From Fiction. * [Gosfield_300h.jpg&h=60&w=60] [Gosfield_300h.jpg&h=92&w=138] WNYC - New York Public Radio Drones, Sometimes Words * [2015-01-24_19.14.05.jpg&h=60&w=60] [2015-01-24_19.14.05.jpg&h=92&w=138] Honolulu Star-Advertiser Police investigating fatal stabbing in Pearl City * [300x.jpg&h=60&w=60] [300x.jpg&h=92&w=138] The Dodo 10 Sly Pets Who Aren't Breaking The Rules — Just Bending Them * [saudiprincess.jpg?itok=U5sAhnGw&h=60&w=60] [saudiprincess.jpg?itok=U5sAhnGw&h=92&w=138] PRI What it's like to drive Saudi Arabian princesses around * [REF30193.jpg&h=60&w=60] [REF30193.jpg&h=92&w=138] The Washington Post Middle East instability a test for relations between Obama and new Saudi leader * [jon_stewart_censored2-300x200.jpg&h=60&w=60] [jon_stewart_censored2-300x200.jpg&h=92&w=138] Salon Jon Stewart's brilliant "F**k you": Why sputtering obscenity is sometimes the best response to Fox News insanity * [bs-md-cambridge-hogan-20150124&h=60&w=60] [bs-md-cambridge-hogan-20150124&h=92&w=138] The Baltimore Sun Hogan people's celebration made for average citizen * [lead_large.jpg?nimxol&h=60&w=60] [lead_large.jpg?nimxol&h=92&w=138] The Atlantic The New Measles * [time-person-of-the-year-poll-01.jpg?quality=70&w=150&h=60&w=60] [time-person-of-the-year-poll-01.jpg?quality=70&w=150&h=92&w=138] TIME Vote Now: Who Should Be TIME’s Person of the Year? (3166906 views) * [3041110-poster-p-1-this-robot-will-write-letters-for-you-by-you.jpg&h=60&w=60] [3041110-poster-p-1-this-robot-will-write-letters-for-you-by-you.jpg&h=92&w=138] Fast Company Sending A Handwritten Letter Is Now As Easy As Using Gmail * [20150124_093453_mike-alvarado-brandon-rios-III.jpg&h=60&w=60] [20150124_093453_mike-alvarado-brandon-rios-III.jpg&h=92&w=138] The Denver Post Mike Alvarado loses to Brandon Rios by TKO after brutal third round * [CTY-measles25.jpg&h=60&w=60] [CTY-measles25.jpg&h=92&w=138] The Toledo Blade Anti-vaccine trend concerning [themost-290x60.png] Our Online Games Play right from this page [themost-290x60.png] * sudoku Sudoku Genre(s): Strategy Put on your Sudoku hat and get ready for a challenging Sudoku puzzle! * daily-crossword Daily Crossword Genre(s): Word Same fun of crosswords but online! * html5-twp-sunday-crossword Sunday Crossword Genre(s): Merl Reagle's classic Sunday Crossword. * html5-mahjongg-dimensions Mahjongg Dimensions Genre(s): It's 3D Mahjongg- you don't even need to wear 3D glasses! * washingtonpost.com * © 1996-2015 The Washington Post * * Help and Contact Us * Terms of Service * Privacy Policy * Submissions and Discussion Policy * RSS Terms of Service * Ad Choices Next Story High-profile D.C. lawyer Billy Martin hired by family of Ebola nurse Amber Vinson Lindsey Bever · October 20, 2014 [p?c1=2&c2=3005617&cv=2.0&cj=1]