Jacksonville Children's Museum Discriminates Against Gay Family By Charging Higher Membership Rate (2013, Florida)

[hammertime33]

So this lesbian couple and their daughter have been paying members under a family plan at this museum for years. This year, when renewing their family membership for the 3rd time, an employee noticed that two women's names were being written under the application spaces for "mom" and "dad." She informed the family that they as per museum policy they did not quality as a family, so they would be charged and extra $10 to add a non-family member adult (one of the moms) to their family plan.

And to top things off, when taken to task for it, the museum complained that they are the victim here, that they don't discriminate against anybody, and that they deserve an apology.

Oh, and rather than just simply charge gay families the same family rate, the decided to punish every family by changing what a family plan is:

OLD PLAN: Family – $49.50: Mom, Dad, & Children Under 18 Who Live in the home. Add A Person – $10.00.
NEW PLAN: $49.50: 1 Named Parent & Children Under 18 Who Live in the home. Add 1 extra person – $10.00


Reminds me a bit about the Virginia pool and gym last year that agreed to a family contract with two gay men and their 2 year old son, but then a week later after realizing they were a gay couple threw them out of the pool and tried to cancel the agreement.

Jacksonville, Florida Children's Museum Tells Gay Couple They're Not a Family: VIDEO | Gay News | Towleroad)
Children's Museum That Discriminated Against Gay Couple Demands Apology For Backlash | ThinkProgress
Children's Museum Demands Apology For Outcry Over Telling Gay Couple They're Not A Family| Gay News | Towleroad

[Ceece]

These businesses don't have the sense to know when to shrug and say "oh well". I personally do that all the time at my job. It's really more of our business to make people enjoy the experience than to offend, insult and make difficult. That's why customer services isn't always as easy as people think and that for every rule you make you are going to make exceptions. Without fail.

They made a point, they made drama for employees that there didn't need to be, and more work, and probably angered their entire customer base with the price jump. But hey, maybe they are hoping to be the next Chick Fil A and have all the gay haters join or become a Christian becon or something. Stranger things have gone on in the minds of men.