Q : Do your religious beliefs trump my civil rights ?
Just a light weight question, to while away this cold cold day. The answer in Great Britain is : NO. Some background :
Late in 2008 , civil unioned ( !! ) couple Martyn Hall and Steve Preddy, and their little dog wanted a weekend away, and chose to go to Cornwall, in the West of England to a bed and breakfast owned by Peter and Hazel Bull. The couple called ahead to double check with a human that it was ok to bring their pet. When they got there, Mr. and Mrs. Bull seeing they were a same sex couple refused to allow them to stay in the inn.... ( I'm sure while humming " Away in a Manger...." ) . There is some disagreement on if the two men were told they could have a room with single beds, IF there were any available, which there were not....
The Bulls later stated that they did not rent to any unmarried couples, gay or not.
Messers Hall and Preddy, chose not to ride on the back of the bus, walk beside the bus, whatever, and sued... and this week WON :
LONDON (RNS) Two Christian innkeepers have been convicted of sexual discrimination for refusing to allow a gay couple to share a double room at their hotel in Cornwall, England.
Peter and Hazelmary Bull also were ordered by the Bristol County court to pay 3,600 pounds (about $5,700) for turning civil partners Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy away from their bed and breakfast.
The hoteliers had argued they were trying "to live and work in accordance with our Christian faith" when they refused to let the two men share a bed.
"Our double-bed policy was based on our sincere beliefs about marriage, not hostility to anybody," Hazelmary Bull told the court. She insisted the policy "was applied equally and consistently to unmarried heterosexual couples and homosexual couples."
Peter and Hazelmary Bull also were ordered by the Bristol County court to pay 3,600 pounds (about $5,700) for turning civil partners Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy away from their bed and breakfast.
The hoteliers had argued they were trying "to live and work in accordance with our Christian faith" when they refused to let the two men share a bed.
"Our double-bed policy was based on our sincere beliefs about marriage, not hostility to anybody," Hazelmary Bull told the court. She insisted the policy "was applied equally and consistently to unmarried heterosexual couples and homosexual couples."
Messrs Hall and Preddy, chose not to sit in the back of the bus.. or walk beside the bus.. what ever, and sued.. and this week WON!
From the Guardian UK : "If the Bulls had a sense of humour, something they don't seem God-blessed with, they might have spotted the irony of spending the Christmas season fighting for the entitlement to turn guests away from their inn."
The Bull's are OF COURSE screaming from any roof top willing to allow them that it is their rights as Christians that are being tramped on, and not the couple left out in the cold....
This week the BBC show THE BIG QUESTIONS took up the case:
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| Steven and Martyn |
The Bull's are OF COURSE screaming from any roof top willing to allow them that it is their rights as Christians that are being tramped on, and not the couple left out in the cold....
This week the BBC show THE BIG QUESTIONS took up the case:
( This is long, but if you are interested in this , watch it )
In the United States, do your rights ,or views, as a Christian trump my and Neil's right to get married? So far they have, and unlike the UK, in the US that is completely legal. The overwhelming majority of people that are against same sex marriage base their opinion on their religious beliefs.
The only reason that New York state does not have same sex marriage is one evangelical minster Democratic State Senator , Ruben Diaz ( D- Bronx ) says the Bible is against it! A very hot topic these days.. and we are winning, one step forward, two steps back and all, but still good to see a court system stand up fully for the rights of the minority, even in the wrong country.
The picture on top is NOT the English b&b.. but just a lovely bedroom I found.
The picture on top is NOT the English b&b.. but just a lovely bedroom I found.
1 comment:
In the UK for the past 5 years we've had a weird separate-but-equal system. Civil partnerships come with, for all practical purposes, the same rights and responsibilities as marriage, and this ruling is based on that principle as enshrined in the Equality Act.
Nevertheless, there is a slight but noticeable slide towards full marriage equality. Veteran human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell is taking the UK to the European Court of Human Rights on the issue, and in Scotland the Assembly is considering just going ahead and allowing homosexual couples to marry, as it has autonomy from Westminster on marriage law. It's quite possible that England and Wales will integrate in due course. In Northern Ireland, movement is less likely because the religious culture is very strong there.
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