27 Nov 2013

Christian guesthouse owners must pay damages to gay couple

The supreme court has ruled that Peter and Hazelmary Bull, who refused to let a gay couple share a double room in their guesthouse, must pay £3,600 damages.

The court ruled that the couple’s decision to turn away Martyn Hall and his civil partner Steven Preddy from their guesthouse in Marazion, Cornwall, did constitute sex discrimination under equality legislation.

Mr and Mrs Bull, who said their decision was founded on a “religiously-informed judgment of conscience”, said they thought any sex outside marriage was “a sin”.

But the Deputy President of the supreme court, Lady Hale dismissed their appeal, saying:

“Sexual orientation is a core component of a person’s identity which requires fulfilment through relationships with others of the same orientation.”

She added:

“Homosexuals can enjoy the same freedom and the same relationships as any others. But we should not under-estimate the continuing legacy of those centuries of discrimination, persecution even, which is still going on in many parts of the world. It is no doubt for that reason that Strasbourg requires ‘very weighty reasons’ to justify discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation.

“It is for that reason that we should be slow to accept that prohibiting hotel-keepers from discriminating against homosexuals is a disproportionate limitation on their right to manifest their religion.”

The court was keen to stress that the law does not treat one section of society, namely homosexual couples, more favourably than another: “If Mr Preddy and Mr Hall ran a hotel which denied a double room to Mr and Mrs Bull, whether on the grounds of their Christian beliefs or on the grounds of their sexual orientation, they would find themselves in the same situation that Mr and Mrs Bull find themselves today.”

Following the ruling Mrs Bull said “We are deeply disappointed and saddened by the outcome.”