“People started taking their seats at 10 a.m.” at New Hope Ministries church, Jose Silva, a friend of Collier’s, told CNN affiliate KMGH. “At 10:15, the pastor said, ‘Due to technical difficulties, the funeral is being moved.'”
The reason for the sudden change was a tribute video about Collier, who died December 29 at the age of 33.
Pastor Ray Chavez of the church, New Hope Ministries, asked the family if they would be willing to edit out the images of Collier kissing her partner, said Gary Rolando, the chaplain who conducted the service.
“The family graciously declined” and asked to move the service to the funeral home across the street, Rolando told KMGH.
–
But Silva, who says New Hope is a church he “once called home,” disagrees.
“This is about not being able to have dignity in death for one of God’s children,” he told KDVR. “No matter what the circumstances — if you’re black, white, brown, gay, lesbian, transgender — we all deserve that. And the church did not afford that to us.”
CNN’s AnneClaire Stapleton contributed to this report.
