The Pilgrim Planet Lodge

Stuff reports:

A lesbian couple have been turned away from a Whangarei guesthouse that refused to let them share a bed.

Jane Collison, 30, and Paula Knight, 45, made an online booking for a room with a king-sized bed at the Pilgrim Planet Lodge.

But when they arrived on Tuesday, they were told only rooms with single beds were available.

When they queried the booking, the owner eventually told them the booking was correct, but she was offended by same- couples sleeping in the same bed. She would not even let them push two singles together.

How stupid. Heh it reminds me of the time a few years ago when I turned up with a girlfriend to a hotel at 1 am asking for a double room. They replied they only had twin beds available and saw the crestfallen expressions on our faces. He then helpfully offered that they could push the beds together for us 🙂

They eventually found accommodation 50 kilometres away.

How appalling.

First of all, the law is clear. You can't discriminate. However ever if the law does allow you to, then they should state upfront on their ads that they do not allow same sex couples to stay at their lodge. That would allow people who don't like bigots to decide never to stay there.

In the past, couples have been allowed to stay at the Pilgrim Planet Lodge, but only if they slept in separate single beds.

But Collison said what went on behind closed doors was none of the Ruskins' business.

“It is a closed bedroom, she is not invited in there.

“I'm not allowed to cuddle my partner in a shared bed, but if I walked in there with a random guy I picked up off the street she would let me in. This is my fiancee.”

A good point. Casual sex with a stranger is fine in their lodge, but not sex with someone engaged to be married.

The Ruskins believe they are exempted from the provisions of the Human Rights Act because they also live in the lodge.

“This is our home, we are not a big motel,” Mrs Ruskin said. “In our home, where our grandchildren are, where our guests are, we don't want sodomy.”

Oh dear, oh dear. I think Mrs Ruskin needs a biology lesson. Like many anti-homosexual people she seems obsessed with sodomy. Well first of all lesbians are not equipped very well for sodomy.

Secondly many heterosexuals couples practice sodomy also. If sodomy is what worries Mrs Rushkin I suggest she just puts up big signs at her lodge asking guests not to sodomise each other while staying. Maybe she can include that in her advertisements also.

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