Lesbian couple sues hotel after being denied double room

A lesbian couple is suing a hotel in England after being refused a double room.

Rebecca Nash and Hope Stubbings say they tried to check into the Brunswick Square Hotel in Brighton but were refused a room because the hotel only gives rooms to couples.

This is surprising for a number of reasons. First, it’s illegal in the UK for hotels to refuse rooms to gay and lesbian couples. Second, Brighton is England’s most popular gay and lesbian seaside town and surely the Brunswick Square Hotel has had to deal with gay guests before. And third, a court fined a bed and breakfast for refusing a room to a gay couple earlier this year.

In the earlier case, the hotel owners were defiant, saying homosexuality was against their Christian principles. In the Brighton case, it’s a matter of “he said, she said.” The manager says the couple hadn’t made a booking. The lesbian couple said the manager got angry and told them “no two boys, no two girls” in the rooms before kicking them out.

[Lesbian flag image courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

Galley Gossip: Why are so many male flight attendants gay?

Scary flights. International layovers. Old flight attendants. Gay flight attendants. In that order these four topics often arise whenever someone who doesn’t work for an airline finds out what I do for a living. I have no problem discussing my job. In fact I love sharing interesting stories and helpful travel tips with those who are interested. While sexual preference has nothing to do with the job, the fact is a majority of male flight attendants are not straight and people want to know why.

I’ve never felt comfortable writing about coworkers whom I see as colleagues and friends, not gays. But because so many people seem truly curious I asked a few flight attendants who are openly gay if they’d be willing to write something about the subject that I could print here. Without hesitation, they agreed to share their thoughts. Unfortunately I never heard back from them after our flight. So I decided to do the next best thing and contact my friend, and coworker, Brian, author of the blog Straight Guy in the Queer Skies, to hear what his thoughts were on why there are so few straight men in our profession. Here’s what he wrote…

The industry is already gay friendly, so it only makes sense that the next generation of flight attendants will be gay as well. Every confused, awkward gay teen going through puberty, desperate to fit in during high school, dreams of being a flight attendant. It’s the promised land! This could be why the job may not seem as appealing to straight men. Some “straights” don’t like working with “gays”, while others might be nervous that the general public will perceive them as gay, so the majority of straight males stay away from the profession. Some guys just aren’t secure enough in their masculinity, or maybe they don’t want to always fight that battle every time someone asks what their profession is.

There are gay men in every profession, but there are certainly some arenas that are more accepting of gays than others. The service industry is one of those areas where gay men are very much accepted and do a fantastic job. Most of us straight boys aren’t nearly as good when it comes to customer service. I’m not sure why this is and I don’t really care. All I know is working under the customer service umbrella in some ways is like being a performer; you’re in the spotlight. You do things and all eyes are on you. You say things and everyone listens. The world is your stage. This might not be appealing to most straight men.

I never wanted to be a flight attendant. I graduated from college and was trying to figure out what to do next when my mother suggested I apply to an airline because her cousin worked for one, the same one I work for now. I doubt I would’ve pursued it on my own but my mom went behind my back and sent in my application without me knowing. A week later she told me I had a flight I needed to show up for and an interview in another city. I didn’t have anything else to do that day so I just went with it. Even after I got the job, I didn’t really think it was something I’d want to do for very long. I didn’t think I’d fit in. I stuck with it though and eventually I grew to love it. But that’s how randomly I got into the business. I would have never come up with this occupation on my own. I don’t think it’s something straight men really think of whilst contemplating their career path.

The most honest answer is the reason why people do anything. Why start a band? Why go out for a sports team in high school? Why buy a Corvette? Why get out of the bed in the morning? Why shower? You do it in hopes of getting laid. Gay men know there are a million opportunities for fun on and off the plane provided by the job, therefore they apply for it.




Photo courtesy of Augapfel

Transgender American travelers no longer require surgery for passport change

In a landmark move of fair-mindedness, the folks at the U.S. State Department have announced a new passport policy that will make life easier for many transgender travelers.

Starting June 17th, applicants are no longer required to have sexual reassignment surgery in order to receive a gender change on their passport.

According to CNN, an attending physician’s certification will be required to confirm “passport applicants have undergone treatment for gender transition. Limited-validity passports for applicants who are in the process of gender transition will also be available.”

The State Department also noted that the policy change was made to coincide with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Month. Now if only the federal government would resolve that marriage issue…

London opens its first gay tourist office

Following the trend of other European cities, London recently opened the doors of its first gay tourist office.

The office is located at 30 Lisle Street, and offers LGBT specific information, as well as ticketing services for London attractions.

According to centre (note the UK spelling) director Shaun Newport, London has the best LGBT life in the world, and the office is eager to show that to local, national and international visitors.

Amsterdam opened its first gay tourist information center last month, and LGBT tourists planning to visit the Dutch capital can order a special gay Amsterdam information kit for free.

Fire Island: An eco-friendly paradise close to Manhattan

As close as Fire Island is to New York City, my family and I felt like we were setting off on a grand adventure when we arrived at Sayville, Long Island to buy ferry tickets for the journey to The Pines, a hamlet of Fire Island.

The diving and squawking sea gulls added to the aura of our three-day, two-night getaway. So did the anticipation of the ferry’s arrival and the chug chug chug of the motor when it left the shore..

We watched our car in the ferry’s parking lot become a dot in one direction, while in the other, the island I had heard about as the magical place that my uncle went to as a young man came into view.

Fire Island, a barrier island off Long Island, is part of the National Seashore and highly protected in order to nurture the diverse plant and animal life and keep the waters pristine. The result is a haven to escape from busyness, noise and almost every other activity humans have been known to do to wreck havoc on the environment. That doesn’t mean that people are not part of the habitat. They are. However, the people are the ones asked to adapt. I suggest the trip for anyone looking to beat the heat of a New York summer and mindful slow down.

When the ferry docked and we stepped of the boat, I was struck by the care that was being given to this fragile ecosystem. At The Pines, wooden boardwalks lead everywhere creating walkways between the buildings of weathered wood, sand and vegetation. Walking off the boardwalk, or outside the bounds of a public access to the beach, or any other designated areas are forbidden.

Because there are not any cars on most of the island, the aura of quiet and calm permeates. In the middle of the week when we were there, many of the houses were vacant which added to the allure of the habitat.

The wooden walkways aren’t all that protect the environment. As we headed to the beach, we passed by the slim wooden slat fences that protect the sand dunes and the birds’ nests hidden from view by the tall grasses.

Although we spent most of our time hanging out near where we stayed, a humble beach house of sun-roughened wood that belonged to a friend of a friend of my brother’s, we did go, via water taxi, to Cherry Grove one afternoon. Cherry Grove is another hamlet community of Fire Island.

Water taxis on Fire Island are not particularly cheap, but they do go to each of Fire Island’s sections. The fare depends upon how far you go. Because our son was small, I took the taxi both ways, but my daughter and brother walked along the beach back to The Pines. It’s not particularly close, but doable.

At Cherry Grove, besides visiting art galleries, one of its signature features, we wandered along the maze of walkways to take in the variety of private homes. No, we weren’t peeping Toms, just casual admirers.

Staying on Fire Island is not generally budget travel by a long shot, but you can reduce the sting if you can share the cost of a hotel room with someone or rent a house with several people. If you wait until fall, prices go down. The middle of the week has less expensive options.

I did look for a hotel room for this summer using the info on this link, but plans changed so I gave up. Many people who own homes do rent them out on short term basis because most folks only come out on weekends.

If you rent a house similar to where we stayed, there are places to buy groceries. Cooking your own food, also what we did, is one way to cut down on costs. Also consider bringing food to prepare with you to trim costs further. The store at the harbor has what you might need for most any meal, but everything costs more than if you bought it elsewhere.

For the cheapest option of enjoying the ecological balance of Fire Island, take a day trip there. Jeremy mentioned a visit to Robert Moses State Park in his post on New York beaches. It’s possible to drive to it via the Robert Moses Causeway.

Because part of Fire Island is a National Park there are many free programs that highlight aspects of the environment to take in. Here’s a link to those happening in August.

If your aim is to find an area that is the least tamed, the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness is where to head. It’s the only protected wilderness in New York state. Camping is permitted, and permits can be obtained at the Watch Hill Visitor Center. According to the national park Website, late fall and early spring are the best times to camp. Summer, frankly, sounds dreadful. Mosquitoes and ticks in droves don’t sound like relaxing company.

As a note: Although The Pines and Cherry Grove are considered to be the predominately the gay sections of Fire Island, I found both to be both straight people and family-friendly. Again, we were there during the week. On weekends, both The Pines and Cherry Grove are more of a party scene. However, according to my brother, the hoopla is mostly at the bars and restaurants.

There are other Fire Island communities to consider, although I didn’t go any further than Cherry Grove. Here’s a link to a list and their descriptions. From what I can tell, some of those communities are not as open as The Pines and Cherry Grove are to outsiders –meaning people who don’t own property there. Others are. Some options also turn into party scenes so consider what will suit you best when making a decision.

By the way, the Sayville Ferry is the one that goes to Cherry Grove and The Pines. If you’re planning to head to other sections, here’s a link to a Website with a comprehensive overview of options.

When I left The Pines I knew exactly why my uncle was so happy there. It’s a paradise that’s close to one of the most exciting cities in the world.

[My uncle is on the book cover.]