What do we think about Chris Grayling suggesting B&Bs should be able to bar gay guests?

[said]

Grayling suggests B&Bs should be able to bar gay guests Story here

Considering he may be the future Home Secretary...

"Which may be why small businesses are being strangled by bureaucracy, rules and red tape."

Yes, I can only imagine the vast expense required to make sure you don't accidentally say, "Oh, you're gay? You can f*ck off then".

You shouldn't be forced to have homosexuals in your home if their lifestyle isn't to your taste....homosexuality is not the same as being black or disabled... a B&B is someones home ...so a B&B owner should be allowed to tell anyone to fuck off.....imo.

My dear DP, once someone takes money from a customer, it is no longer a home but a business. I'm so fed up of people harping on about that. If you want to select the perfect guests then let people know in advance or stick a sign up outside saying "don't bother to ring bell if you're gay/non white/unmarried couple/of other faith etc etc....."
Easy...

You have to stop with the homosexuality not being the same as being black/disabled business as well. I KNOW you're not really an extremist, you just enjoy a bit of a kerfuffle.

A B&B is a business, daftpunk. If they wanted it to be just their home, they didn't have to run a business in it.

The law is the law. We don't get to choose which bits we obey and which we decline.

There is a massive amount of info online about the regulations that have to be followed to run a B&B - from Planning permissions to Fire safety to ensuring there is disabled access suitable in advance for any disabled person turning up (not just wheelchair users), right through to the anti-discrimination legislation, terms and conditions, booking arrangements, first aid, etc etc. There are pages and pages on food preparation and hygiene regulations that apply, correct equipment, proper training, etc.

It is absolutely not just someone's house any more. That stopped a long time ago.

Tbh brightongirl, I'm bored stiff talking about homosexuals and immigrants...it's like so last year for me....but people on MN are obsessed with gays, the BNP, bigots, the Daily Mail....I just get sucked in sometimes...I think I'll start hanging out on the pets and gardening section (I love animals and wild flowers...just never talk about them)...>

.. going back to the B&B thing...I wouldn't get offended if a gay B&B owner turned me away...if he explained that the place was full of gays and that's how he liked it, I'd say no problem mate I'll go down the road...because I haven't got loads of issues...

and anyway, most people are a bit racist, a bit homophobic, a bit anti-something....you'd have to be stoned outta your head 24/7 to love everyone and everything ...agree..?

Are you in Australia btw....is that why you go to bed when I'm awake...

The last time I spoke to my cousin, who happens to be gay and "pretended" to be straight for half his life so that he didn't offend his family (almost causing him to end his life), he certainly did not call his sexuality a "lifestyle choice".
I'm so fed up with that phrase - its incredibly Women's Institute circa 1950. Do any of you who use it actually know anyone thats gay?

I don't know any in RL no, I talk to a lesbian on here sometimes, she's brilliant.

That was uncalled for, Smallwhitecat. How dare you suggest I was point scoring? I was using personal reference in order to explain why this is not an issue of morality anymore. We're talking about normal people who should NOT be made to feel like second rate citizens.
I've never hidden a thread before, so here goes....

brightongirl...

Come back..I want to talk to you

No... I haven't hidden the thread yet. I've been on MN for quite a few years now and I've never ended up in an argument, especially about something so personal.
This issue is very close to my heart and I don't think its wrong of me to use emotion in what has been a very emotive debate so far. The anonymity of mn is why we are able to use RL situations to explain our views on a topic.
I don't think what I've said is irrelevant, but obviously you do - the beauty of debate.

We're discussing the fact that a politician is actually suggesting you should be allowed to run a business that takes money from customers but also allows you to discriminate against them on moral/religious grounds. I have personal experience of seeing someone being persecuted for their sexuality, so its kind or relevant.

(Disclaimer:- I was crap at school debating comps because I am incapable of hiding my emotions and will probably end up as a loopy old woman on a soapbox in the near future)

quite apart from the serious involved I had to chuckle that the objection seemed to be to booking a double bed instead of twin beds

anyway as you were

DP - talk to me on another thread. I'm up too late and getting all heated..
(But it can't be about that bloody Griffin, ok?!)

lol...I could write that bloody mans life story I know so much about him....(I promise I wont mention his name...)

Whenever you have the time...just look for me ok...

Its funny, the country is teetering on the edge Economic Armageddon and MNtters are going nuts about a non story pushed again and again, this last weekend by the media arm of Nulaba, the BBC.

So predicable.

In other news, news of course that Nulaba do not want you to hear
" ?As if there wasn?t already enough to contend with as more workers are put on part time or reduced hours and the cost of living soars, homeowners can only face tougher times to come when the post-election Budget exerts its vice-like grip on household finances.

?Worryingly though, Labour?s spin has masked the extent of the impact this will have with a false rosy glow. As a result, homeowners are likely to fail to make the necessary cutbacks and preparations to manage their finances and we are expecting repossessions to remain at record levels at least until the end of the year."
Never mind that...

As you where.

Fucking homophobic Tory bastards snigger Surely they should have hung Matthew Paris and his ilk before now.

I remember reading Gay Republicans were in awe of how the UK Conservatives have accepted people of their sexuality.

It has been said people get the government they deserve.

Hang on to your hats!

Good point, well made!

Thanks Alouiseg!

But alas we are so few..at least here.

Mumsnet has an unofficial banner...

Ask NOT what, what you can do for your country ....
But what will your country, do for you

I've never seen a 'no heteros' sign in a B&B. And I was once in a hen party that had inadvertently booked a lesbian B&B. (As in, the owners were gay women and their usual clientele were gay women, they were quite taken aback when we turned up.) But they put up with us once they had been suitably bribed with a couple of bottles of champers...

We run a B&B. it is our home first, but it is definitely also a business, and the hoops we have to jump through as far as H&S etc are concerned are ridiculous.

The only time I would ever turn away someone would be if the safety/security of my family and other guests was at risk, i.e. if someone turned up at the door ratarsed and/or abusive.

This isn't straightforward. On one hand people should not be denied a service on the grounds of their race, sexuality etc. On the other hand people should have the right to decide who comes into their home. Enforcing the rights of homosexuals to stay in any bed & breakfast necessarily denies the bed & breakfast owner's right to decide who comes into their home. Even bigots should have that right.

What I find particularly objectionable about Chris Grayling's comments is that he later said that he was being "sensitive to the genuinely held principles of faith groups". Should we be sensitive to the genuinely held principles of racism of the BNP? Why do 'faith groups' get special dispensation for bigotry?

That's an excellent point, Age. The preferential treatment of people who claim they want or don't want X Y or Z because of their religion compared to other people with equally strong views that don't happen to be religious is really worrying.