Brody's Notes... British Court Hands Down Landmark Ruling In Equality Case

Peter and Hazelmary Bull   Photo By Sky News UK

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) JAN 18 | A judge for the Bristol County Court in Britain, has ruled against the owners of a Cornwall Bed and Breakfast who refused to let a gay couple share a double bed because it would be "an affront to their faith".

The owners of the Chymorvah Hotel near Penzance in Cornwall, Peter and Hazelmary Bull, had previously posted a notice that read: "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."

Steven Preddy had booked a room at the Bull's bed & breakfast hotel in 2008 and Mrs. Bull had assumed that he was bringing his wife with him. When Preddy arrived with his partner, Martyn Hall, they were refused a double bedroom citing the hotel's posted policy by its manager Bernie Quinn, who instead offered the pair unconnected single rooms.

In court, the Bulls argued that they barred all unmarried couples from sharing rooms with a claim from Mrs Bull that even her brother and his female partner were not allowed to share a room in her house due to her strict religious beliefs. They further testified that on their on hotel's website- there is a statement that it only offers double bed accommodation to heterosexual married couples, due to their religious convictions.

After listening to all of the evidence and testimony proffered, Judge Rutherford, at Bristol crown court, ruled that the Bulls had directly discriminated against the gay couple on the ground of their sexual orientation. In his ruling, the judge said the right of the defendants to manifest their religion is not absolute and “can be limited to protect the rights and freedoms of the claimants”.

The couple cited the 2007 Equality Act Regulations as the primary reason they took the case to court and told reporters afterwards they were extremely happy with the outcome of their case:

"When we booked this hotel we just wanted to do something that thousands of other couples do every weekend – take a relaxing weekend break away. We checked that the hotel would allow us to bring our dog, but it didn't even cross our minds that in 2008 we would have to check whether we would be welcome ourselves.

We’re really pleased that the judge has confirmed what we already know – that in these circumstances our civil partnership has the same status in law as a marriage between a man and a woman, and that regardless of each person’s religious beliefs, no one is above the law.”

The UK's LGBTQ equality rights organisation, Stonewall's Chief Executive, Ben Summerskill, said:

"We’re delighted with the outcome of this test case. You can’t turn away people from a hotel because they’re black or Jewish and in 2011 you shouldn’t be able to demean them by turning them away because they’re gay either."

"Religious freedom shouldn’t be used as a cloak for prejudice," said Ben Summerskill. "For the estimated £30,000 that this court case cost Mr and Mrs Bull and their supporters during the last month, Oxfam or Save the Children could have vaccinated 100,000 people against meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa. That would have been a more Christian way to spend their money during the festive season."

The Pinknews UK reported that the Bull’s defence was funded by The Christian Institute and its spokesman Mike Judge remarked to reporters: 

“This ruling is further evidence that equality laws are being used as a sword rather than a shield. Peter and Hazelmary were sued with the full backing of the government-funded Equality Commission. Christians are being sidelined."