Ruth Hunt, Stonewall's director of public affairs, has issued a
statement warning hotels of the negative effect that turning away
gay and lesbian guests could have on future business.
"Any hotel with an offensive policy barring lesbian or gay
couples needs to rethink it - not just because they're breaking the
law but because Britain's population may wish to act as ethical
consumers and boycott their business."
This follows on from the claims made last month by a lesbian
couple, Rebecca Nash, 22 and Hope Stubbings, 19, that the hotel
manager of the Brunswick Square Hotel in Brighton turned them away
after realising they were a couple, branding them "rejects".
The claim has been disputed by the hotel's management who have
said that the couple did not book a room with them and merely
enquired previously about one over the telephone.
They added that the couple were only asked to leave because they
were "loud" and "rude".
Liberty, a human rights organisation will be acting on behalf of
the girls to bring proceedings against the hotel on the grounds
that they breached the Equality Act 2010, which forbids
discrimination because of sexual orientation in the provision of
services, which includes hotel accommodation.
