03/29/2007
SC Couple Says Hotel Turned Them Away for Being Gay
A gay couple together for two and a half years says that Affordable Suites of America, a long-term stay hotel located in Sumter, South Carolina, turned them away because they are gay. Jason Pickel and Darren Black Bear say they inquired about renting a room at the hotel while they search for a home.
Said Pickel: "We were inquiring about the price, deposits, extra person fee, and she asked who the room was going to be for, and I said for my partner and I. She said, 'Oh we don't rent to multiple people of the same sex.' I said, so you don't rent to gay couples? She said, 'No, we don't rent to gay people at all.'"
News19 of Columbia called the hotel to follow up. They were told by the hotel receptionist: "Our policy is we don’t rent to two people of the same sex if we only have one bed." Carol Atkisson, the hotel's owner, says there was a misunderstanding: "He says any couple can come to the place and they will rent to them, period. Atkisson says the policy was not mean to target homosexuals. He says they were just trying to stop two single people from being in the same bed."
According to News19, "Currently, there is no state law preventing a hotel from refusing service to a same-sex couple. However, it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, gender, disability, or marital status."
Couple: Hotel Wouldn't Rent to Us Because We're Gay [news19]
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Posted 11:45 AM EST by Andy in Discrimination, Hotels, News, South Carolina | Permalink
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Yet more reasons to not stop in SC when traveling South.
Posted by: Rad | Mar 29, 2007 12:11:53 PM
I think we need a federal public accommodation law. We should basically fight for the basics in civil rights before g/l marriage.
Posted by: Matt | Mar 29, 2007 12:20:34 PM
Never mistake for prejudice what can be ascribed to the profit motive combined with ignorance. The hotel probably encounters cheapskate straight guys who want to share a bed more often than they encounter gay couples. I have traveled with straight guys and we shared a bed to save bucks whenever possible. Hotels don't like it for the same reason that restaurants charge a "split plate" fee. Or do you really think that it costs four bucks to wash that extra plate?
If, as the receptionist was quoted as saying, the hotel does not, as a matter of policy, rent to gay people -- even single gay people, or a gay couple in separate bed -- then that's another matter. But based on the owner's statement, that doesn't appear to be the case.
Posted by: Bed Sharer | Mar 29, 2007 12:26:20 PM
Dear God of Gay People,
Please help me and forgive my soul for still living in this half-assed-backwards State.
Posted by: Uncle Zoloft | Mar 29, 2007 12:28:40 PM
"He says they were just trying to stop two single people from being in the same bed."
What the heck...? Does the hotel ask all the hetero couples for marriage certificates? Dude, if you hate us, please show a little backbone and just be honest about it. You'll be doing everyone a favor. This two-faced shit just doesn't cut it.
And heck, it'd be good for business: 80% of voters in SC supported banning marriage AND civil unions in the elections. Sounds like most folks down there would just love to stay in a hotel like this.
Posted by: zlexar | Mar 29, 2007 12:28:56 PM
Dear St. Jude,
Why did I chose to go into such a specialized field that I couldn't leave South Carolina even if I wanted to? And I do. No really, I do.
Please rescue my poor gay soul.
J
Posted by: Jay | Mar 29, 2007 12:34:11 PM
Why do the states I love so much (South Carolina and Utah) HATE me so much?
Posted by: scnative | Mar 29, 2007 12:38:41 PM
I have lived in SC before, and have had NO problem expresses my sexuality. I have stayed in many hotels in the South with my partner and have had no problems. Sumter just happens to be a rural county, and more conservative. Just like any other part of the Country, it just depends on who you happen to run into. Bigots are everywhere-not just in the South. So please stop with the holier than thou attitudes.
Posted by: otto | Mar 29, 2007 12:43:06 PM
There are only two places to see in South Carolina: Charleston and Myrtle Beach (and Myrtle Beach only for the outlet stores). My advice is to spend your time--and better yet, money--somewhere else!
Posted by: Michael W. | Mar 29, 2007 12:43:57 PM
Michael, you should also check out Hilton Head Island, Aiken (which has more polo fields of any city in the country), and the mountains of the upstate. I will agree that Charleston, HHI, and Aiken are probably the most liberal of all cities in the state. All of these cities have gay bars that have never been harrassed or shutdown.
Posted by: otto | Mar 29, 2007 12:52:31 PM
Hi, Otto...my previous comment was meant to be a little tongue-in-cheek--I know SC does have some beautiful places. I live in NC and we like to dog SC a little now and then. Didn't mean to insult your state. I've heard Hilton Head is very beautiful but not being affluent or a golf player, I'll probably never check it out. Oh, and NC is not much better with the treatment of gays...
Posted by: Michael W. | Mar 29, 2007 12:56:56 PM
In most hotels, a room with 2 queen size beds, and a room with 1 king size bed are the same price. Even if they aren't..if the people are willing to share a bed, then thats up to them, I would think..no matter the sex of the people. Wouldnt this qualify as gender discrimination since they were not allowed because they are both men? Would they allow a single male and a single female to share a bed?
Posted by: Kit | Mar 29, 2007 12:59:10 PM
And they were planning to move to SC?
Come to MD people we are much nicer and more liberal up here...
Posted by: Shan | Mar 29, 2007 1:04:06 PM
Kit,
Not sure about the gender discrimination argument, but I can see an angle with the marital status. Since gays can't marry in SC, then how can they be discrimated against under state law? If anyone knows the answer, it would be intersting to see.
Posted by: otto | Mar 29, 2007 1:11:26 PM
I suggest everyone to go to the wltx.com (the station that reported on the story) website. Under the actual story in the feedback section, 100% of the responses are for the two gay guys-and completely against the hotel. WLTX is based in Columbia SC.
Posted by: NSC | Mar 29, 2007 1:20:16 PM
Why oh why do I still live in this state? So many idiotic people. Even if I bought that crap about them not targeting homosexuals (which I don't) it's a stupid bullshit policy.... They claim that they try to prevent two single people from sharing a bed....IT'S NOT OF THEIR BUSINESS!!!! Ahhhgggghhh
Posted by: onolennon8 | Mar 29, 2007 1:22:13 PM
I guess I should clarify. 100% positive except for the few people who comment just to blurt foul language and try to look funny-or the one or two people who think George Bush is the Messiah. Other than that, overwhelming positive.
Posted by: NSC | Mar 29, 2007 1:26:35 PM
Sigh. South Carolina is my home state, although I left many years ago. Why is it always in the news for negative reasons?
Posted by: sam | Mar 29, 2007 1:43:53 PM
Sam, i think you already know the answer to your own question...
Posted by: Robert In WeHo | Mar 29, 2007 1:48:19 PM
Robert, you're right. It's the same reason why I left.
Posted by: sam | Mar 29, 2007 2:12:44 PM
This is very common. The same thing happened to me in AZ. An apartment finder said she could not allow the rental of a one bedroom apartment or home to two men. She claimed that this was the law.
Posted by: Norm | Mar 29, 2007 2:15:50 PM
so this begs the question that in the state of south carolina if there is no discrimination based on marital status and hypothetically speaking if these two men were married in massachusetts, then would the hotel be held accountable for discrimination? prob. not since i'm sure in SC, they have firmly implanted the def. of marriage as being btwn. just a man and a woman. scratch south carolina off my list of a place EVER to visit unless of course to protest their backward ways...
Posted by: sean | Mar 29, 2007 2:30:23 PM
Why were those poor souls looking to move to Sumter? Everyone knows that the truly fabulous move to the County of Beaufort. Remember, you'll need your pearls AND diamonds for a weekend here.
Paid for by the Beaufort-Port Royal-Hilton Head Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Left-Handed Board of Tourism and Drag Studies.
Posted by: Marshall Lee | Mar 29, 2007 2:33:27 PM
For all the people who choose to bash SC, instead of the actual hotel where the discrimination occured. please keep in mind that many 'hot' gay destinations descriminate gay couples with marriage ammendments. If you base your travels based on discrimination of gays, then no more Key West, no more New Orleans, no more sking in Aspen, and no more taking in the beautiful beaches of San Diego. There are currently 27 states that ban sme-sex marriage.
Posted by: NSC | Mar 29, 2007 2:48:55 PM
pardon the typos-i truly can spell.
Posted by: NSC | Mar 29, 2007 2:51:10 PM