Peter And Hazelmary Bull Fined: U.K. Innkeepers Penalized For Turning Away Gay Couple (UPDATE)

By Al Webb
Religion News Service

LONDON (RNS) Britain's Court of Appeal has ordered a pair of Christian innkeepers to pay 3,600 pounds ($5,800) in damages to a gay couple that was told they could not share a room in the couple's guesthouse.

The three-judge panel rejected an appeal by the innkeepers, Peter and Hazelmary Bull, in their conviction of telling Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy they could not share a double room.

The court in London told the couple, who ran the Chymorvah House in Cornwall, England, to pay the penalty.

The Bulls had argued that permitting Hall and Preddy to share a bedroom went against their Christian belief and that sex outside marriage was a "sin." The Hulls claimed they had not discriminated against the gay couple because of their homosexuality.

Their lawyer, James Dingemans, insisted his clients' guesthouse policy was directed toward a sexual practice, not sexual orientation, and applied to both straight and gay couples. Otherwise, the attorney said, the Hulls were convinced they would be involved in "promoting a sin."

Dingemans said that even if the innkeepers' beliefs were perhaps "outdated," they nonetheless were entitled to hold them.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[Sonyx575]

07:36 PM on 02/17/2012

Another reason we should allow same-sex marriages! That way Inn-Keepers such as the Bulls wouldn't have to turn away non-married same-sex couples and get sued.

[BooBoo Bob]

07:25 PM on 02/17/2012

OK. I'm a little torn. I fully believe in allowing others their religious right to believe as they wish as long as it does not interfere with the law of the land. That said, I don't know the full extent of the traveling couple's dealings with the boarding house, but, there should have been some kind of public notice stating that non-married couples would not be permitted to stay in the same room, barring any existing legislation that prohibits discrimination against non-married couples should it exist. Since there does not appear to have been such a notice, the traveling couple is within their rights to sue for misrepresentation of services.

[Vintage59]

04:41 PM on 02/16/2012

They shouldn't have sued. They should have torched the place.

[DessieRandom]

02:44 PM on 02/18/2012

That's called arson, dude.

They did it the right way by suing.

And maybe, between paying the damages and the business they will inevitably lose for being bigots, they will end up having to go out of business anyway.

[Vintage59]

02:50 PM on 02/18/2012

You have your right way and I have mine. Keep a bucket ready.

[trekie70]

08:10 AM on 02/16/2012

From my perspective, as an American, this was absolutely the right ruling by the court. There is no legitimate reason to inquire about the marital status of guests. If you are in business to serve the public, then that is what you should do.

[trythetruthtoday]

06:48 PM on 02/16/2012

Its a good thing that Jesus is the Judge, and not you.

[Jie Jones]

08:34 PM on 02/16/2012

It's a good thing that anyone but you, try, was the judge.

I find it amazing that subversive people always choose names that are judgmental like yours.

[Sonyx575]

07:38 PM on 02/17/2012

Evidently, Jesus and the other two judges ruled against the Bulls.

[jchandjd]

05:07 PM on 02/15/2012

They are entitled to their beliefs, but when you decide to open a "business" you are required to comport with the laws of the place where that business is located. If that violates your beliefs, then close your business, sit home, make no money, and believe whatever you want...

Maybe they should change their policy and stop leasing rooms to bigots...

[trythetruthtoday]

06:47 PM on 02/16/2012

Homosexuals and their supporters are the biggest group of bigots.
Just check out the responses I get to my posts.

[Jie Jones]

08:36 PM on 02/16/2012

Hate to tell you, try, but speaking out against bigots (like you) is not bigotry. Evidently, the judge in this case saw that also.

[GRobit625]

04:44 PM on 02/15/2012

They could have just said there were no vacancies.

[DessieRandom]

05:08 PM on 02/15/2012

They could've just let them stay in the room they wanted to pay for. Then the couple would've just left the next day and gone on about their business, no harm done to anyone. Instead the owners chose to discriminate. Now they are in the news as bigots and around $5000 poorer.

[GRobit625]

06:01 PM on 02/15/2012

Or they could have just said there were no vacancies and they wouldn't have been able to sue for discrimination.

[LiberalLee]

07:37 PM on 02/15/2012

When someone calls and makes a reservation, do they expect to be able to interrogate every prospective guest, or do they just tell everyone "no vacancies''?
If they want to be able to discriminate in such a fashion, they should perhaps run a boarding house for celibate clergy.

[Robert Frano]

04:43 PM on 02/15/2012

Re: "Dingemans said even if the innkeepers' beliefs were perhaps "outdated," they were entitled to hold them..."

If I recall correctly, there’ve been several of these incidents, each resolved by either monetary fines, and/or, (I think), in one case, a 'bankruptcy' of the 'bed-'N-breakfast'...

It would be sad if a couple-''O-bible-thumpers spend their retirement on the dole, post bankruptcy, but, as there is only a microscopic distance between (the Catholic pontiff) claiming (HIS) Christianity is the only ‘legitimate' religion, &/or, expression of Christianity, and...

The Taliban's nasty habit of ‘curing’ supposed ‘apostasy’ by Ak-47-/-carjacked-airliner-mediated
‘religiosity’, I feel ZERO sympathy for such 'businesses’!
Money doesn’t discriminate; neither should ‘religious’ people!
If the two gay marrieds/singles/whatever were ‘under-age’, (the ‘birth control’ method so-favored in Rome), I'd feel the same as in any ‘under-age’ situation…

As a retired paramedic, I’ve NOTHING but contempt for any ‘medical’ professional who refuses services, (such as abortion, birth_control, condoms, etc.) to customers, re so-called ‘personal morality'!
I DON’T go to the local ‘Rite-Aid’ for sermonizing!

Can you imagine if I rolled up on a 4-alarm-fire in a Mosque/Temple/Cathedral, with people jumping from the roof, (as I have, re ‘secular’ multi-alarm-fires), and said:
"Gee…I'd like to treat save your ass, but...
your religion, marital-status, political/sexual orientation, &/or, sex/skin color, (and therefore), my ‘conscience’ prevents me…”?

[Sonyx575]

07:42 PM on 02/17/2012

You are FANNED & FAVORITED!

[Jie Jones]

02:57 PM on 02/15/2012

LOL...I wonder what they would say if their place caught fire and the fire department did not respond because they didn't like christians.

[sundvl1968]

02:43 PM on 02/15/2012

Religion can be used for all sorts of discriminatory processes. Doesn't make it right. The Bible clearing states how a slave can and cannot be treated. Doesn't make slavery right.

[trythetruthtoday]

06:54 PM on 02/15/2012

Anti-religion can be used for many more discriminatory purposes.

[buggeroffyou666]

09:49 PM on 02/15/2012

Why dont you try the truth for once?

[Catriona]

10:41 PM on 02/15/2012

We have laws in Britain. 'Faith' is no excuse for breaking those laws.

[bklynsparrow]

02:14 PM on 02/15/2012

So did they have written house rules that said only married couples may stay here? Do we believe they checked every hetero couple for a marriage license? Seems a bit strange- their "christian beliefs" encompass discrimination.

[DessieRandom]

02:05 PM on 02/15/2012

I'm glad they've been fined, and I'm glad that this become public and international news.

I wonder, would this couple have turned away Mary and Joseph for appearing to be unmarried fornicators?

[xenubarb]

04:44 PM on 02/15/2012

The woman had sex with a pigeon, fer pete's sake! I'm not sure I'd want them in MY b&b...not with that parrot around. I'd worry.

[Tylerious]

12:48 PM on 02/15/2012

So, I wonder what they would have done if the gay couple was married...

[DessieRandom]

02:06 PM on 02/15/2012

Same thing, I bet.

[Razpooten]

12:46 PM on 02/15/2012

Serves them right and the publicity (negative) should send a message that the inn is run by bigots.

[mrsL]

12:55 PM on 02/15/2012

The publicity will send the message that they are Christian and family friendly - they'll be inundated with business.

[DessieRandom]

02:08 PM on 02/15/2012

We'll just see how that goes then, won't we?

[bklynsparrow]

02:10 PM on 02/15/2012

Or that they're bigoted and don't deserve anyone's business.

[larry cifuentes]

01:47 PM on 02/15/2012

Obviously, the bigots is anyone holding a double standard at what freedom of expression is all about.

I do give freely gay people tens of thousands of dollars of business every year.

It does hurt on having to do so by any other law than loving all people somehow.

It is the imposing that hurts most, you know.

Let all people live as they please, please,

[Fenrir Lokison]

03:51 PM on 02/15/2012

How is not supporting someone that one feels is wrong being a bigot?

[Razpooten]

06:34 PM on 02/15/2012

Bigotry can be costly.

[Razpooten]

12:44 PM on 02/15/2012

So the innkeepers checked for marriage licenses to ensure that heterosexual couples were not illigally fornicating?

[ThinkCreeps]

02:29 PM on 02/15/2012

It's important -- they have to keep a check on the currency of their guests' fornication licenses.

[Razpooten]

06:32 PM on 02/15/2012

Right, a temporary marriage license by any other name; a condom.

[Fenrir Lokison]

12:40 PM on 02/15/2012

I guess next they will be forced to take in those who engage in drugs and abuse because they have a right too.

[Razpooten]

12:46 PM on 02/15/2012

No, but there should be a ban on the dimwitted.

[Fenrir Lokison]

01:29 PM on 02/15/2012

But, that would be discrimination.

I think the justice system choose one groups rights over another. And that they totally ignored that these people were not discriminating against people, but said no to their lifestyle and choices.

It would be no different than saying, I don't want people renting rooms while they are visibly drunk. Or that I don't want people who are going to cause trouble in my place to rent a room. Or that a woman who is hooking to rent a room.

It is not the people, but the unwelcomed and wrongful activity they don't want to give host to.

[Razpooten]

06:54 PM on 02/15/2012

Glad some of you got my drift. The dimwitted didn't.

[David Weidner]

01:08 PM on 02/15/2012

Comparing a gay couple to drug addicts. Let me guess, you must be a christian.

[DessieRandom]

01:59 PM on 02/15/2012

Clearly they are. The words "lifestyle" and "choices" were the tip off for me.