Martyn Hall, a homosexual living with his civil partner Steven Preddy, has lodged an unprecedented county court claim for £5,000 in damages, alleging ‘direct discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation’ against the Christian hotel owners, Peter and Hazelmary Bull.
The claim is under the new Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007, which made it unlawful to refuse a person goods or facilities on the grounds of their sexual orientation.
Martin Hall and Steven Preddy, from Bristol, booked a room at the Chymorvah Private Hotel in Marazion, Cornwall, in September 2008, but when they arrived at the location, they were told that only married heterosexual couples could stay in the same room.
The booking page of the hotel’s website explains: ‘Here at Chymorvah we have few rules but please note that out of a deep regard for marriage we prefer to let double accommodation to heterosexual married couples only’.
(http://www.chymorvah.co.uk/bookingform.html)
This policy has been in place since Mr and Mrs Bull took over the business in 1986, and is founded on their strong Christian faith. Mrs Bull, 62, said that even her brother and his girlfriend had to comply with the policy and stay in separate rooms when they decided to visit the hotel.
In August 2008, the hotel owners received a letter from Stonewall, the homosexual lobby group, saying it had received a complaint and warning the hotel it was breaking the ‘equality’ regulations. Within a short period of time, Mr Preddy rang to book a double room for two nights.
Mrs Bull, who answered the call, explained that she had wrongly assumed that the new guest would be staying with his wife before she accepted the booking. When Mr Preddy and Mr Hall arrived, they were told by the manager, Bernie Quinn, that the hotel could not honour the booking. The homosexual couple told him he was acting illegally before leaving and reporting the incident to police.
Commenting on the case, a spokesman for Stonewall said: ‘We look forward to the hotel changing its policy to reflect equality, the 21st Century and the law.’
However, Mrs Bull said: ‘I have had people clearly involved in affairs and under-age people who have tried to book in here for sex, and I have refused them the same as I refused these gentlemen because I won't be a party to anything which is an affront to my faith under my roof.’
‘In 26 years we have never really had a problem with it. I have found people to be very good and understanding. They realise that they are pursuing one lifestyle while we are pursuing another.’
‘I suppose we knew there would be problems with the new law, but I can't change my beliefs and faith because of that.’
Tom Ellis, solicitor for Mr and Mrs Bull, argues that the Equality Act infringes their human rights as Christians. He said: ‘Under the European Convention on Human Rights, people are able to hold a religious belief and manifest it in the way they act.’
There are a number of other hotels in the area and no unmarried heterosexual couple has had problems with the hotel’s policy.
The new proposed European Directive is rapidly in the process of going through the various stages of the European Parliament. This Anti-Discrimination Directive creates further threats to Christian liberty and builds a wide scope for interpretation to promote the homosexual lifestyle.
(http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=683)
Daily Telegraph
Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1163810/Gay-couple-sue-Christians-barring-hotel-bed.html
Anglican Samizdat
http://anglicansamizdat.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/gay-couple-sue-christian-hotel-owners/
Western Morning News
Christian Today