JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that alleged a suburban St. Louis senior living community discriminated against a married lesbian couple by denying them housing.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that U.S. District Judge Jean C. Hamilton said in the decision issued Wednesday that the Fair Housing Act doesn't protect against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Mary Walsh and Bev Nance sued the Friendship Village location in Sunset Hills in July 2018.

After they submitted their application and a $2,000 deposit, they were notified that their request was denied. They were told Friendship Village's cohabitation policy defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman, "as marriage is understood in the Bible."

One of the couple's attorneys says they are considering what to do next.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com