Quote:
Originally Posted by buzzpost
They knew what the house rules were when they attempted to rent a room. They were obviously trying to start a controversy. It's a private business; they can refuse service to whomever they like.
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You bet they were trying to create a controversy. I am not Gay and I would be more than tempted to pretend I was , with a Journalist and cameras in tow to expose people who think the law does not apply to them.
Same with businesses who would discriminate against anyone who was not a danger to anyone but they simply had a "moral" issue against. Be they black , Russian , orange with purple spots , Muslim, Atheists whatever.
Creating controversy is why we have slowly but surely advanced in terms of human and civil rights in the last few decades. We have to demand those rights because nobody is going to hand them to us on a plate, whether we are coloured, from a different religion, female or workers.
Controversies are the only tried and tested method of social advancement. Apathy because we are not in the groups targeted , or meek acceptance of social injustice simply means no progress at all.
You go into business , you obey the law. We have anti-discrimination laws in this country ( UK) for a reason. Because bigots (regardless of their prejudices - I would fight just as strongly for people refusing entrance to Christians even though I am a staunch Atheist) think it is OK to deny entry to some people because they simply do not agree or like a certain type of people.
I am not Black, Muslim, Gay, Jewish, Chinese etc... but I would certainly not tolerate any kind of discrimination from any business I was patronising or thinking about patronising. You bet I would make a controversy about it. Loud and clear. Not only that but I would be making sure nobody I knew would ever patronise those businesses again , lobbying my Politicians , campaigning against it etc...
Many people would still be treating Black people and Gay people like dogs if we did not have those laws. They want to be bigots at home, it is their choice, when it comes to having a business, regulated by UK law however their private views should remain private. They can be as disparaging against Gay people as they like in private.
Some people seem to look back fondly on the good old days of the freedom to exclude those who we do not "appprove " of. Had people not fought against racism, sexism and bigotry we would still live in a world where slavery, wife raping and Gay murdering would be perfectly acceptable.
If people have to be forced against their will and behave like true Christians and decent human beings in a public context , then so be it.
We cannot eradicate bigotry but we can at least make business owners think twice about breaking the law.
I wonder how those so called fine "Christian" folks would appreciate all Christian businesses being persecuted simply because the law makers did not like the sound of their religion.
Laws are not pick and mix. If you don't want to obey the Law of the land maybe move somewhere or seek to change it.
If we allow businesses to only do what they want, then for a start most people would pay taxes, follow any health and safety regulations ( such as fire regulations for example ) as it would cost them , most people would behave like a bunch of lawless cowboys .
Then again I also believe businesses should be forced by law to treat their employees decently so I guess I am a freak.
Labour laws for example are there because let's face it many employers could not care less whether their employees have a decent living wage, working conditions etc...
When greed is your main motive , humanity, and morality seem to fly out of the window pretty quickly. Hence the need for legislation.
Those who want to return to the good old days of no regulations, should have a good look in the mirror .
I would suggest that the hospitality business is perhaps not the ideal career for people like those B&B owners.
You break the law , you pay the price. Anyone who breaks the speed limit or smoking in a non smoking area should be expecting a fine for it. We might not like it or "approve" of it but it should hardly come as a surprise.
Civil rights legislation came out of a need for them. Humans have the capacity to behave like the worst of the worst if we are not stopped . Without Civil and Human rights legislation slave owners would still be considered acceptable members of society and beating up Gay couples a National Sport.
So sorry if my heart does not bleed for the poor little Christian couples who could not bear to have human beings who fell short of their "moral standards" under their roof.
"No Dogs, no Blacks , no Irishmen" , is that really what we want to return to ? The mind freaking boggles.
You don't want Gay people in your private home ( ie : all private living areas) then fine, you are still entitled to be a bigot. The Law however says that PUBLIC areas of the business such as Rooms and Public living areas, bathrooms fall under the discrimination legislation framework.
Basically some people are saying that if you own a business you can disregard laws and maybe that we should go back to a world of "black" and white" toilets and drinking fountains ?
Condoning prejudices even second hand is being prejudiced. I could not care a Baboo's hairy behind what the "sensitive" clientele might have thought either. So , because a bunch of people are racist, homophobes, sexist pigs etc... we should all just lie down and let them tickle our stomach and watch evil being done to others ?
If the whole world was anti-semite or racist it would still not make it right and acceptable. Homophobic is just another form of discrimination and prejudice.
Should I be pampered as a B&B guest and ask the owners to exclude anyone who wears lime green because I really find it repulsive, or kick out people who are really skinny because they might make me feel uncomfortable about being larger than they are ?
Should I have the right to demand the exclusion of Creationists because I find their beliefs stupid and ill thought out, people with nasal voises because it grates, Republicans simply because, etc... where exactly do we stop. Many things in life make me uncomfortable, many things I do not approve of. I do not expect to have my own little foibles and prejudices catered to and my every whim obeyed.
Life is full of disappointments and compromises. I have to live side by side , courteously with people I often "disapprove" of. Darn, imagine that, having to bite your tongue and simply accepting that not everyone else believes as I do.
I suspect most shops would exclude some form of the "other" if we had no legislation.
If I had a B&B I would not refuse entry to anyone be they Sarah Palin followers, Darwin bashers or people who do not understand the comic Genius of PG Wodehouse. I would accept that I have my own prejudices and it should remain a private issue. I would fully expect people to create a " controversy" if I disallowed people who think and live differently than I do.
If they do not cause any public disturbances, are not violent, dangerous, or agressive then I simply have to bite my tongue and get on with life.
Heaven forbid I am expected to follow the Law and behave like a decent human being ...
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Exactly! I have known two people that tried that and it didn't work.
