Public Servant Lifestyle

Service providers - including pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels - will be prevented from discriminating against lesbian, gay and bisexual people under a new bill.

Hotels, pubs and restaurants will be banned from discriminating against lesbian, gay and bisexual people (LGBT), the Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson has announced.

While many hoteliers, restaurants and bars are happy to promote themselves as 'gay friendly' and or gay owned, members of the LGBT community have sometimes found themselves the victims of discrimination in the past - when service providers, hotels and restaurants have initially taken bookings as well as at other times. One case in 2005 - where a Scottish bed & breakfast establsihment refused to book a double room for two gay men - is just one of the recent, more high profile examples.

Amendments to the Government's new Equality Bill, tabled by Lord Alli and Lord Lester and approved by Parliament, will enable regulations to be made to prohibit discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods, facilities and services.

Alan Johnson said: "This Government has made significant strides towards equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. We have equalised the age of consent, we have outlawed discrimination at work, and we are introducing civil partnerships.

"But lesbian, gay and bisexual people can still face unacceptable discrimination in their everyday lives - for example, being turned away from hotels, or getting a raw deal from medical or other service providers. That's simply not fair, and we're committed to putting it right."

The Equality Bill would also:

Establish the new single Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) and define its purpose and functions

Make unlawful discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief in the provision of goods and services

Create a duty on public authorities to promote equality of opportunity between men and women (the so-called 'gender duty') and to prohibit sex discrimination in the exercise of public functions.

The final scope of the regulations will be subject to a full public consultation.

The new Equality Bill was introduced into Parliament 18 May 2005. Follow this link for further details.

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