A pair of homosexual men claim they were turned away from a bed and breakfast because the owner said it was 'against her convictions' for them to share a bed.
Police are investigating after Michael Black, 62, and John Morgan, 56, complained that the owner of the Swiss B&B in Cookham, near Maidenhead in Berkshire, had unlawfully discriminated against them. The couple, from Brampton in Cambridgeshire, arrived at the £75-a-night guest house on Friday and were met outside by the owner, Susanne Wilkinson. 'She said, "It's a large double bed in a double room" and we said, "yes", and then she said it was against her convictions to let us stay.
Quite right too. It's her house and it's up to her who stays in it as far as I am concerned. Call me homophobic if you like, but then most purely heterosexual men are, if they were being honest with themselves. I for one am fed up with the GOVERNMENT and the EC telling me what I HAVE TO THINK. I thole Homosexuals, but it doesn't mean I HAVE TO LIKE WHAT THEY GET UP TO!
SEND SUSANNE A MESSAGE OF SUPPORT AT http://www.bandbmaidenhead.co.uk/
18 comments:
DL
Your blog is highly educational - I had to go and look up the meaning of the word ‘thole’! “Ah, thole” I hear you cry!
In a free society, people should be at liberty to say who can and cannot enter their home. But if the landlady had thrown guests out for being black, most of us would have considered that totally unacceptable. Similarly, if they had been evicted for being Jewish.
We do not tolerate discrimination on the grounds of race, colour or religion. But what about sexuality? This is a difficult issue. I do not consider myself to be homophobic and possess a substantial collection of girl on girl videos to prove it. But it does seem inequitable that, on the one hand, we are told that we must accept the right of homosexuals to practice their arse banditry wherever they like, but on the other hand, we can trample on the rights of those whose oppose sausage jockeying due to their deeply held religious beliefs.
As George Orwell predicted, some people’s rights are more important than others.
Wasn't there a scotch bloke with a B&B in the Highlands somewhere who was recently prosecuted for homophobic discrimination ? I think there was a campaign against him in the Pink News or something.
You can't run a business and discriminate on sexual grounds these days as it's against the law.
That's why this B&B couldn't say anything on their website about their sexual policy.
If they change their name from SwissB&B to a religious title such as Mohammeds or Mecca then they might be able to escape the new legislation.
I don't agree with discrimination against gays personally and think the owners should get a life.
Isn't the world getting all precious DL? Divesity is the key. Some establisnments will supply you with a fire hose, five man search party and an Irish Wolfhound. Others object to having massive laundry bills and redecorating to deal with when a troup of cannibals fancy a midnight feast.
Move on to another establishment gentlmen this is not a monoculture where there is no variation or variety. Though suspect you two cannot stand that.
I once staqyed in a gaff where the landlady booted my bedroom door off it's hinges. I didn't complain, it was a great B&B, if I'd objected to such forcible entry I'd have moved to another of the myriad of fine kipping hovels infesting this still great nation.
Honourable Fred, sorry 'thole' must be a Scottish word. It means 'put up with' I suppose.
What about if you said to them, "look guys, I underestand you are deply in love with one another but the very thought of you sticking your penises up each other's arseholes is an anathema to me. Therefore if you are going to sleep in the one bed under my roof, please do not engage in any sexual activity as I would be physicalloyt sick if I found you had spunked all over my sheets in the morning, even worse if I found a skid mark". Do you think that would be acceptable? Whereas if they were black it wouldn't bother me if they had sex if they were heterosexual.
Banned, It's your house and I don't see why you shouldn't dictate what goes on in it. It's not the fact of them SLEEPING in the same bed that would bother me but the SHAGGING part.
Conan, two nations divided by a common language!
Rab, You miss the point. First of all I never mentioned 'arse banditry', I believe that may have been one of the fine contributors to this blog. I would have no objection to blacks, lezzies, jews, one legged pole walkers, paedophiles or even 'gays' just as long as they didn't practise homosexual sex under my roof. Actually I'm being a bit of a devil's advocate here. The real point of the article as far as I am concerned in that WE ARE TOLD HOW WE HAVE TO THINK by the Government and the EC. If I don't want to have two homosexuals under my roof then that is up to me. It is not a matter for the police or the courts either civil or criminal. What happens if you put a sign up at your door saying, 'no double glazing canvassers'. Can the police be called because you are abusing their human rights? Where does it stop? I don't know.
Boabs, as I said above, the whole point is people telling you how to think. I am 55, a white male who has been married for 33 years. I don't know any practising homosexuals although I have no doubt, I have met some. My bigotries are mine to have, not for someone to tell me I shouldn't have, if you take my point. Anyway why do homosexual men call themselves 'gay'. Is it because it is a less 'ugly' word and makes them sound less menacing? I've got no idea of the origins or why the word started to be used.
INCOMING!!!! You make the points succinctly as usual. You're right if I went to a B&B and they said they didn't take Scotsmen, I would tell them to fuck off and go somewhere else, not run off to the Police. Pricks!
Tell me more about this, door booting off the hinges episode, it sounds a good story.
Honourable Fred, Human rights have to be shared round and if I have bigotry against Homosexuals then that is my bigotry to have and as you say I am entitled to that right. It is not for a Government or the EC to tell me what bigotries I am allowed to have. Some people might not like, fat, middle aged, opinionated, Scotsmen but that's not my problem. Deal with it and move on, life too short. It's just a good job I'm not like that!
My views maybe different to you DL as I have friends and family who are gay and would hate to think of them being sent away from a hotel because of their sexuality. They are what they are and can't change things.
This couple might have an agenda though as most gays research places first to avoid these situations arising. There are plenty of websites that give out accommodation guides and reviews worldwide.
Hi DL,
Firstly, let me apologise. It was not you who referred to "arse bandits", but as you stated, one of your fine contributors.
However, I insist it is you who are not getting the point. The government does not make it illegal for us to have our bigotries, or even in many cases to spout on about them, but it does quite rightly prevent us from acting upon some of them. I therefore repeat, if these people do not want to play host to gays in their home then they should get out of the hospitality/B&B business.
By all means DL, feel free to hate me, though we've never met, just because I'm gay and despite whatever other redeeming features I might have, but please do not feel free to push dog faeces, or petrol through my letterbox, or trash my garden or car or worse just to make your point - behaviour that unchecked bigotry too often leads to.
So you think this couple are right in refusing to accommodate two gays? What next, that they should also have the right to forcibly remove them from the premises?
Bigotry is a corrosive thing often doing as much damage to the bigot as to the victim. Don't align yourself with the bigots. Surely you're better than that?
Live and let live.
Regards,
ps I agree about having sex (straight or otherwise) in somebody else's house when a "guest". It's just not done, is it?
What a Cunt! From the Daily Mail comments of all places.
"If someone wants to turn away business that is up to them. This was a guest house, not a hotel, the woman was quite within her rights to accept or turn away who she likes, for any reason. Don't we have any rights left in this god-forsaken country!
- Peter, Surrey, 22/3/2010 15:54
It's AN HOTEL 'Peter, Surrey' you daft fuck.
Rab o'Ruglen That was a well argued contribution and I thank you for it as, no doubt, will DL hisself.
Boabs, I take your point and really when it comes down to it, I wouldn't discriminate against them either. As I said earlier, just because I wouldn't discriminate doesn't mean I'm over the moon about it. I would class myself as being an intelligent enough person but as I said I cannot help being a bit homophobic. Maybe if like you I had Gays in my family or amongst my friends, (that I knew of), then perhaps I would feel more relaxed about the subject.
The point though I am trying to make and obviously not too well, is that one size doesn't fit all. Everyone is different with different prejudices and because this authoritarian Government/EC tells me one thing it doesn't mean I have to think that way.
Rab, thanks for your contribution. On your first point of spouting your pejudices, we all know that is not true. I am not allowed to call you the 'N' word or several other names which might 'abuse' your human rights. That is the law. Do you not think though, that we can get hung up on labels too easily. There are many abusive descriptions that people could and have used about me over the years and particularly now, but hopefully I have let it wash ove me. You will say no doubt that calling someone a ---, well I'm sure you can substitute your own word, is worse.Well possibly it is. As far as some of the other practices like petrol bombing etc, well that is obviously just stupid people who should be weeded out. Then people will say, is it their fault they are stupid? No obviously we don't want to go back to the 1930's and hopefully society is more tolerent nowadays.
Problems can arise however I think when the majority, which I would consider myself to be in as far as this issue is concerned although probably not in some others, feels that they have recognised as a society others peoples' rights and that they have been enshrined in law but they keeps pushing for more. Can you understand that? To give you an example. I don't know what your colour or national diaspora is, but presuming you are white, Scottish and pseudo Christian, you probably feel the way that most of white society would in Scotland, that Muslims are possibly pushing a bit too hard for Sharia law, their own paliament etc. Possibly not, because you are a part of a 'recognised' minority, I don't know. That, if you do, is the way that many heterosexual men would feel when we see a 'Gay Pride' march. Although to be fair, there haven't been too many in my part of Ayrshire!
Anyway I feel that I am starting to ramble. I had clear ideas what I wanted to reply to you when I read your comment, but I've gone off on several tangents! As far as sex in someone else's house is concerned, you're quite right. What an embarrassment if you made a mess on the sheets, whatever way your orientation is. Thanks BTW for using your google moniker. Stand up and be counted and put your opinion over rightly or wrongly. Not unfortunately like the ANONYMOUS PRICK whose comment follows yours!
Ansel, you're talking shite again. But I defend your right to do it and if that's what you feel, then fair enough.
Anonymous, thank you for your contribution. You have added greatly to the discussion. It just shows there are bigots on both sides of the argument. Use a google id next time if you're brave enough.
Banned, what do you expect from a 'Mail' reader. Fuck me the dead lice are dropping off them. Mind you it's a great paper for blog posts and always with a photie!
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