LGBTIQ friendly hotel

Except that Italy is one of the only places in Europe where gay marriage is still illegal. So i can see why lgbt people might feel more comfortable staying in a hotel that is advertised as lgbt friendly.

I would also say to make sure the hotel isn't actually a gays only or swingers hotel! 😜

I mean, I've certainly been wary about visiting locations and hotels in the past. I tend to ask friends if they have any experiences or recommendations, where is good to stay and where we should be avoiding. Even now in the UK you can't just assume that a hotel will be fine with two men or two women sharing a bed. Yes, they typically relent and let you book- or stay in the room you'd already booked- but I would always rather avoid the hassle if possible. Italy is one of the places I'd be slightly cautious with, as their political climate can be quite homophobic at times, so the "LGBT+ friendly" clarification would be appreciated.

Anyway, I'd simply assume it means those of us in same-sex relationships would be able to check in without having to argue the toss about sleeping in the same bed. Though far from how it used to be, homophobia is unfortunately still quite common rhetoric and a real concern for a lot of us.

@Lovelyview

in Germany spas are often naked anyway, quite normal for both sexes to wander around without clothes, shocked me the first time but used to it now, changing areas are often communal and mixed sex, nobody bats an eyelid.

It means that my brother who is gay won’t have the awkwardness of management refusing a double bed (has happened) when on the booking it was requested

I think it just means that they won't make a fuss about two same-sex people sharing a bed - but they'll get into trouble with the tq crowd if they just say lgb friendly. Having said that in some countries such as Germany men are entitled to use women's facilities like changing rooms if they identify as women. So if you're going to a spa hotel in Germany it might mean you can't object to a man in women's spaces.

I think your missing the point about the Race at Work Charter it's about training staff on racial awareness, not using microaggressions and initiatives to get BAME people involved in careers they've been excluded from or had more barriers to entry in such industries. Also it makes the company commit to certain programs and audits to improve policies and practices to further inclusion and diversity in the workplace through the main 7 commitments companies then implement.

On the travel point there are definitely websites about travelling while Black or Asian and people sharing places they wouldn't go to again or places where they were treated better so that other Black and Asian people can know when planning a trip.

I’ve seen shops with Dementia Friendly signs up.

I remember in the 90's coming across homophobic attitudes and being judged and openly insulted when using B and B's and hotels when I was in a same sex couple.

I now have lesbian and gay friends who have experienced those same attitudes recently- in the past couple of years- in the UK, other parts of Europe and the US. I was depressed to hear how things are quite similar really to when I was young.

I know that for my lesbian friends who are planning their wedding next year are looking specifically for venues that are not going to make them feel odd or othered, and that's not because they're paranoid or jumping on a bandwagon. It's because they have been made to feel that way in several hotels in recent years.

Whatever I feel about gender identity, I still recognise that people are discriminated against negativity when using hotels. And that's because they may be lesbian, gay, or are trans identified. I'd welcome an indication from a hotel I was booking into, as to what reception I might get. I guess for most people it's not needed, but for me, it would be a slight reassurance that we (same sex couple) aren't going to have to 'explain ourselves' on arrival and be met with judgement and disgust.

I have never seen a business say those things, I am a little curious about what "many" means.

Anyway, making spaces accessible is useful, if it's practical. I'm not sure what people are meant to be taught so they can talk to people who aren't white, that seems pretty condescending.

The SC case in favour of gay rights re hotels etc wasn’t so very long ago.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25119158?app-referrer=deep-link

I was travelling with a couple of gay male friends recently, and one of the hotels we stayed in made a huge song and dance about them sharing a bed. They got the room so not illegal discrimination but very unpleasant when you're paying for a service. That's in the liberal UK, I'd imagine it would be worse somewhere without equality laws- in the US I believe you could legally discriminate on the grounds of sexuality in some states.

Plenty of hotels advertise that they are disabled friendly, what accessible features they have. Again, not always easy for disabled people to find somewhere to book (and again I have recent experience of this).

A two minute browse of Black Mumsnet would show you how many threads ask about areas to holiday in because of how posters have been treated when holidaying.

So yes, even in the UK, I think of you're not white, able-bodied and straight, you do have to be more careful when travelling, even with equalities legislation. And it doesn't hurt me in any way if a hotel says it is LGBT friendly.

Well I did once have a hotel receptionist exclaim how they’d put ‘you poor things’ in a room with a double bed when I checked in with my partner.

P’raps it means they won’t do that?
Totally unnecessary. Other than that occasion (which was frankly hilarious, the receptionist meant no harm), I’ve never had any comment.

@zanahoria Not quite but travelling while black is a thing - see greenbookglobal.com

does it mean that straight people just get the surly receptionist ?

@RainSoakedNights

Work in the travel industry.

This "badging" on hotel shopping sites gained a lot of traction circa 2020 onwards.

Research, badging, "inclusion" groups etc. all ties into brand perception.

HUGE American influence pushed out into non US operations / countries so yeah, this type of signalling exploded massively in 2020 in more ways than just this in two of the major / largest hotel content providers worldwide (one more slick at marketing their efforts than the other).

Who did you book with out of curiosity?

I guess it just means they won’t give you funny looks regardless of the combination of people wishing to share a double bed. Which is fine but should go without saying nowadays.

IQ ought to mean they provide lots of hard crosswords and sudoku puzzles.

Many companies say they are Disability Confident (involves training, making spcaes and practices more accessible) and do training from the Race at Work Center as well. There are many similar initiatives for BAME people (doing work experience etc).

It’s meant to be like the Green Book in the 1960s, which was noble and sad.

It’s actually mostly meaningless. In some countries, it’s worth noting. But in most, virtue signalling.

and the virtue is that they will obey the law by not discriminating

It is condescending

do any hotels go round saying they are friendly to black people ?

It would make more sense to label the things that are not LGBWHATEVER friendly. Because it's pretty much everything that is.

It's weird because they don't typically say disables friendly, or Asian friendly, or whatever, because apart from specific needs like accessible rooms, there is no need to say they want customers.They want your money,whoever you are.

It’s just a bandwagon, it’s pathetic.

It’s not that long ago that I had to look for gay-friendly hotels even in the UK after one bad experience too many. There are still a number of countries where it’s mostly safe for same-sex couples but where I would absolutely look for LGBT-friendly accommodation (e.g. Poland, Hungary).

Without knowing where you’re going, it’s hard to say if it’s virtue signalling or potentially important information.

my IQ is not high enough for these puzzles