Lesbian Couple Wisely Sues B&B Owner For Refusing To Give Them A Room

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In 2007, a California couple’s Hawaiian vacation got off to a bad start when they tried to book a room at the Aloha Bed & Breakfast in Honolulu and were turned away because they’re lesbians. When Diane Cervelli said she and Taeko Bufford would only need one bed, owner Phyllis Young explained that she didn’t want same-sex couples, or unmarried heterosexual partners, staying in her home due to her religious views. Hawaii is one of 21 states with public accommodation laws that prohibit sexual orientation discrimination, so the couple has filed a lawsuit. It seems Young isn’t contesting that her establishment doesn’t welcome homosexuals, since she told investigators from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission that homosexuality is “detestable” and “defiles our land.”

 
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