"Christians should be allowed to turn away gay couples because of their sexuality."

[Star1]

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling is facing calls for his sacking after he said bed and breakfasts run by Christians should be allowed to turn away gay couples because of their sexuality.

Mr Grayling said hotels should not be allowed to discriminate against homosexuals, but he suggested individuals should have the right to decide who stayed in their home.

The comments to a meeting of the Centre for Policy Studies thinktank sparked anger among gay rights activists and may prove embarrassing to Conservative leader David Cameron, who has made great play of his party's increased openness to homosexuals.

Michael Black, who with his partner John Morgan was turned away from a bed and breakfast in Cookham, Berkshire, because of their sexuality, said Mr Cameron should sack Mr Grayling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCFwUWT_Dbs&feature=player_embedded

[Asherbella]

I don't condone rudeness and inhospitality but I think private companies have the right to run their business as they wish without pollies sticking their dirty noses into it.
To an extent but not to the point where good people are denied services merely for being themselves.
How would you feel if you were denied a haircut for walking with a limp or being over the age of 40? Are you seriously telling me you wouldn't feel upset, confused or hurt?

[Cyclone55]

I take responsibility for my emotions and would rather those grubby pollies keep their noses out of it.
Private enterprise is private enterprise.

I couldn't disagree more. Discrimination is discrimination. Pollies should be there to ensure that we are not discriminated against.

[TheOldie]

I could understand ( not necessarily agree ) if a Church wanted to ban gay members of that Church. After all there are plenty of more accepting religions.

But these people have a B&B for tourists/commerical purposes therefore no discrimination should be allowed at all.

[Cyclone55]

Dear Cyclone, you have a private profile so I can only guess you are a school student who has never spoken to a politician.

Thats was a very odd assumption to make

[Recreated355]

I don't condone rudeness and inhospitality but I think private companies have the right to run their business as they wish without pollies sticking their dirty noses into it.
what if a business turned someone away because of their race or gender?
private companies DON'T get to run their business as they wish - they are beholden to the laws of the land just like everybody/thing else
thankfully more and more countries are outlawing bigotry and discrimination based on race/sexuality/gender etc.
this is a bizarre statement - back to medieval times for the tories

[Cyclone55]

Well have you spoken to a professional politician?

Not sure where you are going with this. Do you think that someone's opinion about discrimination somehow holds more merit if they have at some point spoken to a politician?

[trina2004]

"reported to police for refusing to take in a gay couple, on the grounds that it was against her Christian principles"

Where in the Bible does it say "Thou shalt not let queers sleep at B&B's"?

[Cyclone55]

Here is a quote from an article on http://with-god.blog.co.uk/

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of a homosexual rights group Stonewall, said the comments would be "very alarming to a lot of homosexual people who may have been thinking of voting Conservative".
He added: "The legal position is perfectly clear. If you are going to offer the public a commercial service and B&Bs are a commercial service then people cannot be refused that service on the grounds of sexuality. No one is obliged to run a B&B, but people who do so have to obey the law.

And of course Labour said that Grayling's comments ran contrary to the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007, which state that no one should be refused goods or services on the grounds of their sexuality. (In which this very act it self is illegal by trying to enforce law’s on peoples rights of free will and choices)

[tricky28]

This idiot is a citizen before she is a christian... so those 'christian principles' espoused are trumped by society's. She can go live in the Vatican if she does not like that. And that politician advocating the private views of a citizen (or rather a group) over the laws of the fucking country should be binned.

[local_warming]

basil fawlty wouldnt have let them stay

[Recreated355]

What a beatup!

This alleged incident about an alleged discrimination is a ploy from a Labour Party about to lose the power they’ve held on to for 13 years in Britain.
how is this 'alleged' discrimination?
according to the website:
"a warm and friendly welcome awaits all"
no mention of
- unless you're queer
- unless you have earrings i don't like
- unless you are unwilling to join in my evangelical christian prayer sessions

it's discrimination plain and simple
also, pretty long bow to draw to link this to the election, but regardless, being homophobic not ok - at any time or place