Mr. Gay Canada 2019 Josh Rimer and his fiancé Heath wanted to have their wedding at the Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center in the popular Mexican LGBTQ resort destination of Puerto Vallarta but the hotel told them that it won’t host a same-sex wedding.

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One year later we returned to the same place where Heath proposed to me. 🥰 We’re still engaged and still planning our wedding, but in the meantime enjoying being fiancés. 👨‍❤️‍👨 • • • • #calgarypride #pride2019 #pride #gaypride #gaycalgary #loveislove #husbands #gayhusbands #gaylove #lovewins #gaycouple #gayrelationship #gayhusband #gayboyfriend #gayboyfriends #gayfiance #gayfiances #engaged #gayproposal #gayisok #gaymale #gayisokay #gaylife #gayinsta

A post shared by Josh Rimer (Mr. Gay Canada) (@joshrimer) on Sep 3, 2019 at 9:35am PDT

Rimer described the complex, frustrating, and homophobic experience he had trying to book the hotel for the wedding in a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday.

“This is probably the most homophobic experience I’ve ever encountered personally in my entire life. … It’s not like I’m trying to book a wedding in Uganda! This is Puerto Vallarta! It should not be an issue.”

Rimer said the manager at the hotel told him “we don’t specialize in same-sex weddings” and suggested other hotels that do in “this very, long, weird, rambling answer.”

Rimer later received an email from the manager that read, in part: “I am infinitely grateful that you have thought of Sheraton for your big day., however, our hotel and our staff is not specialized to carry out an equal wedding and we would not like to take your wedding as a trial and error as our service could be poor compared to what characterized Sheraton, because we know and we are aware that is your special day for you and your fiancé, and do not want that by our non-specialized service some conflict can be generated on your big day.”

Wrote Rimer: “I still can’t believe this happened today and is even a thing we need to worry about in 2019. I guess moving forward we’ll have to be sure to be upfront with the fact that we’re both men when it comes to anything we want to book that has to do with our wedding, which is pretty sad and just another example of how we still have a ways to go toward equality.”

UPDATE: Jeff Flaherty, a Marriott spokesperson with their Global Communications & Public Affairs office, provided the following statement to Out & About Puerto Vallarta:

“We are troubled and greatly concerned about the experience reported by Mr. Rimer. Marriott has long been committed to providing an environment where all are welcome including our LGBTQ guests and their loved ones. We have contacted Mr. Rimer and expressed our sincerest apologies for his experience. In addition, we are looking further into the matter to better understand what happened and do what we can to prevent hurtful experiences like this from happening again.”