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Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous grounds

Should B&B owners be allowed to refuse gay couples?

  • Yes, they should be allowed to refuse anyone for any reason

    Votes: 48 59.3%
  • The should be allowed to refuse if it violates their religious beliefs

    Votes: 2 2.5%
  • They should be fined for discriminating against gays

    Votes: 11 13.6%
  • They should lose their B&B license for discriminating against gays

    Votes: 14 17.3%
  • Other, please explain

    Votes: 6 7.4%

  • Total voters
    81
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro


Do you start all your posts this way? :2razz:
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

Do you start all your posts this way? :2razz:


LOL.

No. When I do it's usually a device to help me vent my frustrations in one word. That way I can avoid incurring the wrath of the mods.

:)
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

Key here is that this is a private home and while it makes me sad? They should be able to do whatever they want. Again: private home.

Most B&B's are private and it is not like they are some kind of hotel chain.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

Key here is that this is a private home and while it makes me sad? They should be able to do whatever they want. Again: private home.

Most B&B's are private and it is not like they are some kind of hotel chain.

This may be a private home but it is also being used to run a business. The law is clear that they cannot behave in business with the same discrimination that they may behave in their private life. They may not discriminate against anyone in providing goods and services. A BnB ceases to be a private home when they start charging people to stay there.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

This may be a private home but it is also being used to run a business. The law is clear that they cannot behave in business with the same discrimination that they may behave in their private life. They may not discriminate against anyone in providing goods and services. A BnB ceases to be a private home when they start charging people to stay there.

Thanks.. Guess then they are WRONG! :(
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

Thanks.. Guess then they are WRONG! :(
Yes, they are. Here's the legal position in the UK...

"The Sexual Orientation Regulations 2007 make it unlawful for a person providing goods, facilities or services to members of the public to directly or indirectly discriminate (or victimise) on the grounds of sexual orientation in the provision or non-provision of such goods, facilities or services, or the terms upon which they are offered. This is regardless of whether or not the goods, facilities or services are provided free of charge. This covers a wide range of public and private services, including important areas such as healthcare, insurance, and the provision of hotel or holiday accommodation."

from... Your rights - homepage
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

Key here is that this is a private home and while it makes me sad? They should be able to do whatever they want. Again: private home.

Most B&B's are private and it is not like they are some kind of hotel chain.

It stops being a private home when you open it up to the public. Why is that hard to understand?

Wal-Mart is a private business; can they do that?
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

...only if property rights exist. So the answer is no.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

This is in England where a Christian B&B owner refused a homosexual couple accommodation. Should this be allowed or not? For those of you who haven't visited the UK, B&Bs are much more common over there and American style motels are rare. Many, many homeowners supplement their incomes by operating B&Bs in their homes.

Should they be forced to take in gay couples if it is against their religious beliefs?

Gay couple turned away from B&B by Christian owners | World news | The Guardian

I'm not sure.
I don't think they'd be within their rights to turn away a mixed race or minority couple, so I'm not sure they're within their rights here.
I understand they own a private business, but it's also one which purports to be open to the general public, and then insults prospective patrons in a way that is no doubt hurtful and belittling.

I would imagine a US court would find them within their rights to do so; I would also imagine their business will not prosper; a B&B can hardly risk offending the gay community, can it? I would think gays would account for a great deal of its business.

On the other hand, it sounds like "Bed and Breakfast" means something totally different in the UK than it does here.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

I'm not sure.
I don't think they'd be within their rights to turn away a mixed race or minority couple, so I'm not sure they're within their rights here.
I understand they own a private business, but it's also one which purports to be open to the general public, and then insults prospective patrons in a way that is no doubt hurtful and belittling.

I would imagine a US court would find them within their rights to do so; I would also imagine their business will not prosper; a B&B can hardly risk offending the gay community, can it? I would think gays would account for a great deal of its business.

On the other hand, it sounds like "Bed and Breakfast" means something totally different in the UK than it does here.

If sexual orientation is protected by law against discrimination, then it's protected against discrimination. A B&B may be a private dwelling but it's also a business open to the public. It has to obey the law, which in the UK apparently is quite clear on the subject.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

If sexual orientation is protected by law against discrimination, then it's protected against discrimination. A B&B may be a private dwelling but it's also a business open to the public. It has to obey the law, which in the UK apparently is quite clear on the subject.

Okay. Well, good. I think they should obey it. I think discrimination is hurtful and unethical and wrong.
Here in the US, privately-owned businesses have a history of getting away with it, though.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

Okay. Well, good. I think they should obey it. I think discrimination is hurtful and unethical and wrong.
Here in the US, privately-owned businesses have a history of getting away with it, though.

In most of the US, it is still legal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

I'm not sure.
I don't think they'd be within their rights to turn away a mixed race or minority couple, so I'm not sure they're within their rights here.
I understand they own a private business, but it's also one which purports to be open to the general public, and then insults prospective patrons in a way that is no doubt hurtful and belittling.

I would imagine a US court would find them within their rights to do so; I would also imagine their business will not prosper; a B&B can hardly risk offending the gay community, can it? I would think gays would account for a great deal of its business.

On the other hand, it sounds like "Bed and Breakfast" means something totally different in the UK than it does here.

From a business point of view, a B&B can certainly thrive by carving out a market niche. There are many who might feel discomfort and/or moral outrage by finding an obviously gay couple at the breakfast table in the morning.

We like to stay at one place on the Oregon Coast where most of the places allow dogs, and they are free to go along the beach unleashed. It has a definite market niche, but I'll bet the leash Nazi crowd loathes it.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

From a business point of view, a B&B can certainly thrive by carving out a market niche. There are many who might feel discomfort and/or moral outrage by finding an obviously gay couple at the breakfast table in the morning.

We like to stay at one place on the Oregon Coast where most of the places allow dogs, and they are free to go along the beach unleashed. It has a definite market niche, but I'll bet the leash Nazi crowd loathes it.

Careful! You appear to be coming unwittingly close to drawing comparisons between LGBT people and dogs. I'm sure that's not your intention.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

If the business owner wants to put his political views and bigotry ahead of his profits, that's fine with me - but he shouldn't be surprised when he starts losing customers and getting a bad reputation in the community.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

Well, English law is different from U.S. law in this regard.

In general, I lean towards the rights of business owners to refuse service to anyone.

However, put it in a different context. Should a business be able to turn away blacks simply because they're black?
yes.


1234567890
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

yes.


1234567890

Care to expand on why you think so?
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

If the business owner wants to put his political views and bigotry ahead of his profits, that's fine with me - but he shouldn't be surprised when he starts losing customers and getting a bad reputation in the community.

Assuming a Progressive community.

Assuming a Conservative community such refusal would increase reputation.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

Assuming a Progressive community.

Assuming a Conservative community such refusal would increase reputation.

True, but it isn't just the progressives who are against this kind of behavior. Many Libertarians, moderate conservatives, and centrists communities do not want to see this decriminalization.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

Back to the thread question:

Of course he should be allowed to deny gays - it's his property. Do we live in a free country or not?
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

True, but it isn't just the progressives who are against this kind of behavior. Many Libertarians, moderate conservatives, and centrists communities do not want to see this decriminalization.
The difference between those groups is the amount of government interference applied towards the solution. But just about every ideology in the U.S. is less inclined to tolerate bigotry than even 3 decades ago.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

The difference between those groups is the amount of government interference applied towards the solution. But just about every ideology in the U.S. is less inclined to tolerate bigotry than even 3 decades ago.
I mean ideological groups btw, reading back I may have been ambiquous.
 
Re: Should a Bed and Breakfast Owner be allowed to refuse Gay couples on religous gro

Care to expand on why you think so?

I think businesses which are run out of the home should be given more room to practice religious tenants due to their literal and figurative proximity to the private residence. IMO I think a customer should have to respect the rules of a home more so than if they were at a regular hotel. They are entering someone's home for the service, and I think that warrants more respect to the homeowner's preferences.

If a Muslim B&B wants to require all female customers to wear the Hajib and everyone has to pray 5 times a day, then they should be free to do so.

IMO it doesn't matter what the silly little thing required or forbidden is, the uniqu nature of a B&B should be free to practice the tenants of it's faith. I would no sooner fault a private baby sitter for leading the children in prayer before lunch.

IMO this is no different than a businesses right to refuse to allow firearms on their property, a rule I personally find retarded based on all available evidence of the dangers (or lack there-of).

I say let free market forces decide the limits. If people don't like your rules, you won't make money.
 
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