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

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

Considering he may be the future Home Secretary...

"It's homophobia because they are saying it is acceptable to discriminate on the grounds of sexuality. "

He didn't say that." Well, of course he wouldn't say that but it amounts to the same thing.

OK - so let's say they're allowed their own booking policy and it's fine for them to discriminate against gays/blacks/people with ginger hair...when should the B&B owner disclose this information?

How would this work, exactly? Would they make sure they told everyone who booked, "Oh, by the way, are you gay? No? Muslim, then? No? Jewish? No ?- good, that's fine...credit card number please.."

Or should they just wait till the guests turn up, at which point they could give them a full inspection and then decide whether to turn them away or not?

Hmm..remind me to double book next time I stay in a B&B, in case something about me is off-putting to the B&B owner...

"OK - so let's say they're allowed their own booking policy and it's fine for them to discriminate against gays/blacks/people with ginger hair...when should the B&B owner disclose this information? "

Actually, ever tried booking a group holdiay of all males at a 'holiday park', you'll have a hell of a job, mixed bookings only.

I think the difference is it's a lifestyle choice as opposed to a cultural difference.

People who have children have to find child appropriate accommodation.

Before i book holidays I check if they take children and dogs........if they do I run like the hills and go somewhere else

How is being gay a lifestyle choice?

How is it not? [ehmmm]

Alouiseg - I think I may have misunderstood your post - do you mean that being gay is a "lifestyle choice"?

atlantis - I'm afraid I don't know what a holiday park is. I don't see how your analogy helps. Genuinely, what do you think? Do you think it would be better for B&Bs to state at time of booking what their preference was regarding guests? Or better to turn them away on arrival if they don't fit the right profile?

Damn that was supposed to be

I still don't understand why he feels the need to have this formalised - it still is the B&B owner's right to choose who they accept as guests! Unless they are specifically asking over the phone "are you gay? yes? then I'm not letting you have a room" (which is homophobic and is the equivalent of refusing blacks or Irish or Jewish a room)

Children and disabled people are slightly different because the B&B might not be set up to accommodate them safely/adequately.

Pets are another category entirely.

I grew up in SA where even the bus benches had a 'Slegs Blankes' (Whites Only) - perhaps I am showing my colours, but any discrimination is wrong - but at the same time owners who open up their personal spaces to others should have a right to refuse ....

I went to a Jewish primary school where the tuckshop served bacon sandwiches and the school was empty on all Jewish holidays - the Christian children carried on regardless.

The fact that my brother also went to a school for the cerebral palsy ....

So no - It wouldn't be okay, but that is the line or lifestyle the owners of the B&B choose to follow and they also have the right to refuse boarding ...

Right, you DO think it's a lifestyle choice.

So, you think that because people "choose" to be gay, it's OK to discriminate against them?

Where to begin...

Do you think being gay is more or less of a choice than being, say, Christian? Or about the same?

"Genuinely, what do you think? Do you think it would be better for B&Bs to state at time of booking what their preference was regarding guests? Or better to turn them away on arrival if they don't fit the right profile? "

They could do as holidays parks do (butlins, pontins etc) and ask for the names and ages of all guests staying, (if it's two men staying in a one bed I think it would be sussed ), but all places already have the right to refuse entry even when you have booked in advance.

am that anyone can think being gay is a lifestyle choice!! It's who and what you are, as much as being black or white. Nuts to view it any other way.

atlantis - yeah, that's probably the best way of doing it.

Then if there are any nasty foreign sounding names, they can turn them away as well.

Blimey, i've opened a can of worms!

I'm not gay nor am I homophobic and don't know any (openly) gay people very well.

I just think that b&b owners should be able to say who they bring into their homes/business and if they are uncomfortable with homosexuality then why put everyone through the mill about it. The potential gay guests probably won't feel comfortable in a judgmental environment so why go somewhere for a break or night away where you won't be welcomed nicely.

No axe to grind.

"Then if there are any nasty foreign sounding names, they can turn them away as well. "

Yep, they can. Because it's their home, it's their choice. The only way to counteract it is by saying nobody who rents out a room in their house, or a 'second' home has a right to say who can live there, all welcome or shut up shop.

Utterly utterly ridiculous

I can't comprehend that anyone would think that this is ok

atlantis and fleshwound - what would the policy be on a gay person staying on their own? Should they still be refused a booking as they are gay, or is it only a problem if they're booking as a couple?

I am dumbfounded.

Alouise sorry... you are a bit homophobic. Really.

I think I had better leave this thread now.

"No axe to grind."

Couldn't agree more Alouiseg.

If I owned a B & B as long as the money was paid and no damage was done, I wouldn't give a flying fart who rented the room, but others should be allowed that choice.

atlantis, your holiday park scenario is a bit of a red herring since it applies to all-female groups as well (at least at every place I've been to) so it is not an example of sex discrimination.

It can never, ever be right to discriminate against people about things they cannot change be that race, religion, sexuality or disability. If you object to blacks or gays or whatever being in your B&B then you either suck it up and treat them the same as any other guests or close yourself down and admit no one.

I'm not at all but i believe that everyone should have rights not just minorities.

That includes the right to decide who you invite into your home.

"atlantis and fleshwound - what would the policy be on a gay person staying on their own? Should they still be refused a booking as they are gay, or is it only a problem if they're booking as a couple? "

Geez, do I look like a polititian, I don't make policy, nor would I want too, it's my personal opinion that if the business is also a home they should be allowed to refuse entry to whomever they want.

Personally I wouldn't want Gordon Brown staying at my B&B (if I owned one) incase he got into a temper and smashed the place up does that mean I'm discriminating against Bullies and vandals?

But if you are exercising that right re gay people then it is homophobic. Similarly, if you exercised that right on race it is racist.

But it isn't policy to ban gays from renting rooms in any B&B. It is not policy to find out the sexual leaning of any particular guest...so if one person came up to the counter looking to stay in a room, I wouldn't know why it would be an issue ...

The owner however has the right to refuse a single sex couple renting a room or an unmarried couple or a Jewish couple (if they were Jewish in the strictest sense and required the B&B to maintain a Kosher kitchen) or a disbaled person (if there was no acess for a wheelchair) in the same way the guests might refuse the room if the room was dirty, noisy, small or too dark or to far from the beach...

But what about the right of the couple who'd booked to stay in the room that they'd booked?

This is not about "who you invite into your home". B&Bs are businesses, they rent rooms out for money. No-one's asking them to be friends with their guests.

Being gay is not a lifestyle choice, louise.