Homophobic hotel

March 22, 2010

Yesterday I read this article about a gay couple who were refused entry to a B&B because the owner said it 'went against her principles'.

And although it is quite clearly discrimination, I felt a bit sorry for the B&B owner. After all, it was her house and if it was going to make her uncomfortable having them there, should she really be forced to? I mean, if I ran a B&B and a couple came to stay who were loudly and offensively racist, surely I would be within my rights to refuse to allow them stay in my house because it went against my principles?

And secondly - why would the couple want to stay somewhere where they were going to be clearly and obviously unwelcome? I was trying to explain this to Mattgreen when I came up with the idea of the Tory guesthouse. Imagine staying at a B&B where the landlady provided complimentary copies of the Daily Mail in every room, and chattered over breakfast about how all the immigrants should go back to where they come from and how this country has gone to the dogs since Tony Blair got hold of it. Imagine all the fixtures and furnishings were blue, and there was a huge framed photograph of Margaret Thatcher over the dinner table...

I am joking, of course, but it's not funny really. Ooh, I dunno, I dunno! Part of me says it's still homophobia and it's against the law so therefore it was categorically wrong of her to refuse entry.

But on the other hand, I would really hate to be told that I had to let someone into my home if they had a lifestyle which (rightly or wrongly) I found totally abhorrent. I'd probably flat out refuse ... and that's exactly what she did.

Thoughts?

Comments:
Oh my! How uncharacteristically conservative of you.

Do you think your night hanging out with lawyers may have changed you a bit? Better be careful, you could end up like one of us. ;)

Frank (Oberion)
 
Dammit! You're right!
I'm turning into a lawyer!!

Hehehe... watch out Mattgreen ;)
 
The point is, she's not letting somebody of house - your point of view would be fine then. She's running a business, not inviting somebody in for a cup of tea.
 
Mmmm. Yeah, I see your point. Because taken to the limit, you could get homophobic/racist business owners who refuse to let gay/black people into their shop or club or restaurant, and obviously that would be totally out of order.

OK, I have a new idea. Maybe she should just shut down her B&B if she can't cope with the clientele her business attracts?

That seems fair :)
 
I think it really depends on what her 'principles' are. There are beliefs and there are prejudices. If she was a massive christian and didnt believe in sex before marriage or same sex relationships then she should perhaps market her B&B as a christian bed and breakfast; stipulating prayers at mealtimes and locking up of chastity belts after sunset. I suspect that her 'principles' fall into the latter category because she says nothing about finding pre-marital cavorting offensive! Anyway, has anyone tried having a bunk up in a b&b? The walls are usually paper thin!
 
Oops, did I say that out loud!?!
 
LOL!
 
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