to think you shouldn't have to accommodate gay / unmarried couples?

[moogstera1]

Re. the b and b owners who have been fined for refusing to allow a gay couple to share a room.
From what I can gather, they are committed Christians who do not allow hetero or homosexual unmarried couples to share a room.
The gay couple deliberatly chose this B and B as they knew they would be refused a shared room and wanted to make a legal point.
They were offered 2 seperate rooms but refused.
So, despite personally not being at all religious and not caring if someone wants to share their bed with whoever they choose, AIBU to think that in their own home, they can choose to uphold their values ( which seem to be consistent as regards no unmarried couples.)

[FayeKinitt]

No, I pretty much still think they're utter cunts.

[moogstera1]

Let's say it was a Mormon couple, or Muslim couple who ran the B and B and they stipulated the same thing, would you still be so hideously offensive towards a fundamental aspect of their religion?

[ForkInTheForeheid]

YABU, that argument didn't stand up in court because they admitted that A. They didn't ask the couple if they were in a civil partnership before refusing them a double room and B. They admitted that they don't always check if heterosexual couples are married.

They are running a business and they have a responsibility to serve the public within the law. If they don't agree with the law they can choose not to run this business or campaign for its change appropriately if they feel strongly about it.

[GoSakuramachi]

The minute they open as a B&B it isn't there own home anymore. If you want to run a business in a civilised country you have to follow rules of civilised behaviour, and that means not discriminating against people based on bigoted views.

YABVU. And isn't this years old news?

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

Its not their own home. Its a business. YABU.

[moogstera1]

Not years old news as the appeal was yesterday and it's being discussed all over the news today.
Would everyone feel the same if it was another religion or are they more "valid" in their beliefs than christians?

[PumpkInDublic]

Fork got it in two points. "A. They didn't ask the couple if they were in a civil partnership before refusing them a double room and B. They admitted that they don't always check if heterosexual couples are married."

I don't see how two people loving each other can be offensive to anyone. Unless they are uber cunts, obviously.

[CuttedUpPear]

to think that in their own home, they can choose to uphold their values

What if their values were racist, or anti semite, rather than homophobic? Would you argue their right to refuse a jamacian or jewish guest?

[MrsToddsShortcut]

It's not about their religion though. It's about the Law. They can hold whichever religious beliefs that they like, as long as they uphold the law of the country as well. They didn't. They (absolutely rightly) fell foul of discrimination laws.

Religion is an article of faith. By definition it cannot be 'proven' to be right or wrong. Therefore, it cannot trump The Law.

[willyoulistentome]

If they want to force their beliefs on private guests that's fine. (They might not get many guests staying!!) However, if they are running a business that at the heart of it requires them to have strangers staying and sleeping in their house then they have no right to decide how people sleep. Pure discrimination. If they said 'no blacks' they would be flamed all the way!!

They are idiots!

[SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood]

It's not their home, its a business and they are NOT ALLOWED to discriminate. And yes, I'd think the same if they were another religion.

[moogstera1]

AFAIK there are no religions which have racist views as a part of their values, whereas many have strong feelings about sex between unmarried paople

[SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood]

And I have no problem with the couple seeking them out to challenge them good for them.

[Witchety]

Religion shouldn't affect business!!

Ridiculous.

[trockodile]

Honestly I think that as they run a business then it is not up to them to judge the morals of their customers. Would also like to know what proof they require-do they insist on seeing marriage certificates? What if people want to share a room as friends-is that ok? What if they promise not to have sex? Or if they are divorced-technically only ok biblically if adultery is involved?
The own home thing is a red herring-it is a business and so should fall under the equality act. Whether the couple deliberately went there to entrap them-have no idea.

[PandaNot]

It's a business, they must abide by equality legislation. I can't believe anyone would think otherwise! If you don't want to 'share' your home with homosexuals, don't decide to open it up as a business. YABVVVU.

[sleepyhead]

I think that some people should be less concerned with what other people do in private.

Honestly, I do believe that the sort of so-called committed Christians who go on about this stuff are unnaturally obsessed with what's going on in other people's pants.

They do understand that some hetrosexual couples practice bum sex as well don't they? (and that a lot of gay men don't).

There are all sorts of sins that could be happening behind the closed doors of their B&B.

[fluffyraggies]

I was watching this on the news and it was pointed out that it's impossible to start saying that a ''B&B is someones home and therefore they can dictate who sleeps in it''.

When does it stop being a home and become a hotel? Take a large hotel - if the owner sleeps in one of the rooms of the hotel, is it a 'home' suddenly?

No, it's a business if you're accepting money to provide a bed. And a business cannot discriminate randomly over it's customers.

[Binkyridesagain]

I go away for weekends with female friends, we share rooms, sometimes (clutch your pearls) we share a bed. Should we be barred?

[Nicknamenotavailableeither]

YABVU, obviously!! It's not their own home any more, it's a business. They are just a couple of weirdo religious homophobic idiots. Can't believe any sensible person would side with them.

[mrsfuzzy]

oooh, touchy subject, personally i don't care what people do in their bedrooms but i don't think anyone has the right to judge because of someone orientation sexually, why on earth did these people open a b and b to start with? they might have guessed this situation would arise, especially with the unmarried hetro couples moe people probably co habit than actually marry in this day and age what about a person is divorced is that wrong too? i hear what you are saying but it is wrong to go around pushing your views on other people about your personal beliefs, also if they are ' christians' they seem a bit hypocritical, jesus supposdely emraced everyone what would he have to say about it? how do you know that they deliberatly chose this b and b? how would they have known about its dracanion rules? oh, no wait, i expect they advertist the fact in their adverts no gays, no sinners and definantly not mrs fuzzy and her family because they are pagans!

[EmpressOfTheSevenScreams]

FFS.

Dopishe's anti-gay-marriage thread is barely over and now we have this? Is it open season on us or something?

[SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood]

Ironically if the gay couple opened a B&B they'd be allowed to refuse a room to these owners - being homophobic is not a protected characteristic and therefore refusing service to homophobes is not discrimination :o

[trockodile]

And religion has been used in the past to justify racism, slavery and sexism.

[Enigmosaurus]

YABU. Its a business, not their home. They have to abide by the law as business owners. Religious beliefs shouldn't come into it.