Lesbian slur

[Lucifera]

I'm annoyed by this story - OK of course the estate agents shouldn't have used the word lesbian as a reference, but "slur"? One, they are lesbians, so what? Two, horrible to refer to it as a "slur", like calling someone a thief or a racist.
And they are in Suffolk, groan. Does not raise my hopes of finding convivial queer company when we move there full-time.

[Lucifera]

I hope lots of delightful gung-ho East Anglia lesbos will now post to reassure me ....

[MsDemeanor]

I don't see the word 'slur' anywhere though.

[Lucifera]

oh sorry, maybe it was just in the Times coverage here

[rebelmum1]

ha ha would have liked to see the description of the property. How peculiar.

[edam]

Blimey. I do think the estate agents should have been punished for being so darn rude and homophobic - why, exactly, use 'lesbian' as the password unless you have what Trisha would call issues? Guess the pay-out reflects the firm's refusal to apologise and accept it was wrong.

[TotalChaos]

I agree with edam - the estate agents were completely out of order. I'm also curious as to how the offending ad appeared, and how obvious the lesbian reference was.

[wheresthehamster]

So what did it actually say?

[beanieb]

I don't get what this means:

"After an assessment visit in February from the Bury St Edwards branch of estate agency Jackson Stops & Staff, Suzanne Richards and Sarah Dobinson decided to check property websites used by the agents.

They discovered that the reference used for their property on www.rightmove.co.uk was the word 'lesbians.'"

were they selling a house for them?

[beanieb]

I don't get what this means:

"After an assessment visit in February from the Bury St Edwards branch of estate agency Jackson Stops & Staff, Suzanne Richards and Sarah Dobinson decided to check property websites used by the agents.

They discovered that the reference used for their property on www.rightmove.co.uk was the word 'lesbians.'"

were they selling a house for them?

[MsDemeanor]

I wouldn't read too much into the word slur, though I can see why it annoys you. The story is a tricky one to quickly condense into a headline so it's rather clumsily done, but I really think that's all it is.
Agree the estate agents behaved badly. Especially by refusing to apologise.

[beanieb]

it's so confusing I can't even work out what they said, where, and why!

[rebelmum1]

How the estate agent could do that and not think it's wrong beats me. Maybe they have a range of references like 'oldcodgers' 'dirtybuggers' 'divorced' 'singlemum'

[Lucifera]

I didn't see what the ad on Rightmove said either and don't understand how the word lesbian was used. Just, I keep hoping we've gone beyond "lesbian" being seen as an insult, and people being so terrified of being outed. Tho maybe they exaggerated to get the compensation!

[wheresthehamster]

Wonder if all sellers are checking their own references? 'Ugly' 'Fat' 'nofashionsense' etc

[MsDemeanor]

I don't think they were terrified of being outed - not if they are happy to be in the paper like this. I think what they didn't like is for anyone at all to be able to look online, see where they live and know their sexuality. After all, while most people are perfectly OK with homosexuality, we all know that not everyone is nice, and some people are very nasty. It was linking their address with their sexuality that freaked them out, and I don't blame them.
It was also an intrusion into their private lives.

[weeonion]

sad that the estate agents felt they could use that irrelevant description when selling a house. homophobia is rife in certain areas - especially when a survey done in glasgow found that more people would be happy to live next door to a sex offender than a gay couple.

[Lucifera]

OK Msdemeanor (and others) I do get your point. But I still feel depressed about it!

[TotalChaos]

agree with MsDemeanour e.g. I wouldn't have been happy for my address and the comment "jewish" to be put on Rightmove.

[cyteen]

Lesbian Slur would make a wicked band name.

[MsDemeanor]

I have been on RightMove though and don't know where 'lesbian' could have been written. Perhaps by accident on the re: bit when you click through to contact an estate agent? That normally starts with re: Ox Hill Road or something similar.

[nailpolish]

i dont get it

they are lesbians. its not a swear word, why dont they like people calling them lesbians?

[Walnutshell]

huh? strange. just seems an irrelevant piece of information to use on a property website. unless it's synonymous with 'one careful lady owner' and the implication is that the house is particularly well-maintained!

[MsDemeanor]

They don't like everyone who happens to click on a property website being told both their address and their sexuality.
I would guess the estate agent put it on as 'joke' and it wasn't supposed to stay there but did.

[DisenchantedPlusBump]

BECAUSE WHY THE HELL SHOULD THE FACT THEY ARE LESBIAN BE MENTIONED ON A PROPERTY WEBSITE?

Do they list other people as 'black,' 'obese' 'immigrant' 'straight couple with 2 kids'

Its totally irrelevant and I have no idea why the hell it would be mentioned

[LynetteScavo]

Maybe I'm confused, but I've understood the Estate Agents had included in the details the had provided to Rightmove that the cople occupying the house were lesbians.
The couple are upset because their sexuality has been publicised, leaving them open to attacks from homophobics.

The Estate Agents have gone into uneccessary detail, IMO, but haven't been homophbic them selves, as far as I can see.

And now we all now these two are lesbians, not just a few people who might have looked at their property on Rightmove.