To think that the landlord of the pub in Soho was within his rights to ask the couple to leave?

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www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13103647

We've all seen the story. It seems to me that it's completely blown out of all proportion in exactly the same way that the couple with the B&B did not want gay couples staying under their roof.

If you were sat in a pub/restaurant and a heterosexual couple started getting steamed up, kissing passionately, hands all over each other, you'd be like 'Get a room' or 'take it outside'. I personally would move to another seat, I don't want to see it, straight or gay.

I think you should be allowed to ask people to move/leave for whatever reason if there is no prejudice and think this is another classic example of bleeding heart lefties using tactics to make the majority feel like the minority.

AIBU?

Hazel, my point is that the original Equality Act was unclear, and that led to a conflict because it allowed people freedom from discrimination based on religious belief, but some religious beliefs are themselves discriminatory.

So in one of the cases (the registrar), a tribunal originally ruled in her favour. They said that sacking her because she refused to perform civil partnerships because of her religious beliefs was discriminating against her on the grounds of religious belief. This was overturned at appeal and the council who sacked her won.

Since then, all these cases have found in favour of those protecting the rights based on sexual orientation, rather than religion.

To avoid these conflicts in the the future, the new (2010) equality act has given more rights to gay people and those who associate with gay people (family, friends) than they previously had under the earlier version of the equality act.

So I agree with your description of the situation now, but that situation has come to exist as a consequence of court decisions over conflicting rights leading to revised legislation.

Alistron- That's great for your mother. I am pleased. However, go to and check the licensing laws. You can refuse service to anyone and you can ask anyone to leave (barring the equality act blah blah blah which by the way was introduced in the past year or 2).

MillyR - got you.

The Equality Act was introduced five years ago.

i think there are two issues here and both have different answers.

should the LL have the right to discriminate and refuse to serve people based on religion, sexuality/race? the answer is no, of course not. everyone deserves to be treated the same regardless.

should the LL have the right to refuse service to anyone? yes. quite often, if you challenge a customer about taking drugs in the loo, or drinking too much, or practically shagging in a booth they will become aggressive and you put yourself and your other customers in danger.

Homosexuals wanted equality, the right to be accepted and treated the same as heterosexuals. They've got that, so why do they make such a fuss about minor things like this? Jesus Christ they were asked to leave a pub, big fucking deal - heterosexuals are kicked out of pubs everyday of the week.

carmina - yes, they are - but not for being heterosexual!

and it can be argued that this couple weren't kicked out for homosexuality.

How does the saying go innocent until proven....?

Try the usual, try substituting black for homosexual and white for hetrosexual.

Well, CB, it was clearly a big deal to them. And why shouldn't it have been?

Were you there Hazel? Did you see what they were doing?

And heterosexuals would be kicked out if they were breaking pub rules.
Equality means just that - everyone is treated the same.

It might have been a big deal to other people in their being disturbed by two people necking in the corner. THere's a difference between equality and superiority.

their there

Back to the facts that there were witnesses who said the men were not behaving inappropriately, and none who have said that they were.
The brewery and the landlord have yet to offer an explanation.

Are they reliable witnesses or are they;

a) fighting against what they believe is a prejudice
b) homosexual rights activists
c) friends and fellow journos

all of which could taint the case.

Here is the story

It rather suggests that it was a big deal to them.

"...We eventually left the pub, after being advised by a plainclothes police officer that it was within the landlady's rights to ask us to do so."

and here

"I also do not think we would have been asked to leave if we were a straight couple..."

Well that's his own personal POV. He doesn't state that he was kicked out for being gay he can only presume.

one story says LandLORD one LandLADY. Hmmm. Reliable sources.

167. TOPICAL 15TH APRIL 2011 - 11:00 I don't see the problem, why do we continually have this homophobic label pinned on a particular persons actions when someone is offended, or contravening someones house rules. Mutual respect for peoples actions is very difficult,but in my book you do as the house rules dictate - no argument. I was evicted from a pub in Wales in 1972 by a landlady for giving my Girlfriend a kiss on her cheek !!!!

A man drinking claimed to the couple that he was the landlord. The person who actually asked them to leave was the landlady.

Biwi; They were bothering other customers and had already been asked to stop - they didn't.

Are people expected to put up with it just because they're gay?

Apologies to all those who live in Wales, but a pub there in 1972 does not really compare with a Soho pub in 2011!

'Are they reliable witnesses or are they;

a) fighting against what they believe is a prejudice
b) homosexual rights activists
c) friends and fellow journos

all of which could taint the case.'

Don't know, wouldn't it be lovely if he came out and explained why he made them leave and had some people to back his side of the story?