4 STAR GUESTHOUSE “NOT GAY FRIENDLY”
Two men have been turned away from Villa Vita Nouva, a four star guesthouse in Vredenburg, because they are a gay couple, reports the Cape Times.
According to the newspaper, Morne Stickling and his partner, Johan de Klerk, booked accommodation at the Western Cape guesthouse via e-mail.
But when the couple sent Villa Vita Nouva a final e-mail confirming a king size bed and their arrival time and asking “I hope you are a gay-friendly guesthouse?”, they were surprised by the response.
Marion Botha, the house’s owner replied that, “We are certainly not gay-friendly, this is a Christian household. We have never had a gay couple staying in the house and we prefer to keep it that way. We hereby cancel this order and exercise our right of admission.”
The guesthouse’s website states that it is situated “in a quiet cul-de-sac on the hill in Vredenburg overlooking Saldanha Bay and Langebaan Lagoon.” It reads further, “Come as a stranger, leave as a friend.”
Stickling and de Klerk said that they have lodged a complaint with the tourism grading board and were considering taking legal action against Villa Vita Nouva.
makes one wonder. Perhaps if they came as strangers they might have left as friends after all…
This “I hope you are gay friendly” e-mail sounds a little provocative to me… The reality is that a very large portion of this country is homophobic. The reason for such discrimination very often being perceived stereotypes resuting from a lack of interaction with “normal” or non-stereotypical gay people.
In the practical sense, homophobia can only be addressed through constructive interaction with such “normal” gay people. Accordingly, we should pitch up at guesthouses and work functions and where ever and be normal and friendly and great and yes also proudly gay. But sending “the gays re coming” e-mails to people does really not help. It plays purely on the stereotype, before giving the opportunity for positive interaction, and basically almost guarantees a negative response…
But hey, hindsight is 20/20, eh…
Normal ?. I agree with your opening comment. There is no justification for questioning the gay-friendliness of an establishment unless there was a slight anticipation of a negative response.
If it was I that booked the place, I would not have mentioned my orientation. I would just have pitched up. If they had a problem with me they should say it to me face to face.
The truth is that it’s easy for homophobic people to lash out over the phone but they’re usually cowards otherwise. This would give the opportunity for the owners to see that there really is no difference between a straight and a gay couple.
As to Duckie’s comments about “normal” gay people. I think this is a bit harsh but I see where you’re coming from. I would never imply that there are abnormal people though.
No room in the inn? . It’s all very good and well to simply arrive at accomodation and see if the owners are bold enough to cancel the booking face to face… but where do you stay if there is suddenly ‘no room in the inn?’
Are gay travelers expected to make a ‘back-up’ booking at alternative accomodation on the off chance that homophobic owners excersise thier right of admission? The practical side of me says I would rather establish gay friendliness of an establishment prior to hitting the road, but at the same time I agree that sending a ‘the gays are comming e-mail’ is perhaps not the best way.
I would either try book into accomodation that advertises it’s welcome to gay guests or… failing that send a less provocative e-mail, simply confirming the booking with my name and my partners name 🙂
Agree!. All of us have had to face homophobia in it’s ugliest form, but to FORCE establishments to put up with our sexuality just because they feel miffed is a bit rich. Just as I respect a straight person’s right to his sexuality, I expect the same. If the guests had explained the interpretation of gay friendly (which as we know in our culture, ranges from mere acceptance to raunchy face licking in public), I would have made a better informed decision. Sorry gay guys – I’m with the straights on this one.
Piss off. Please make a remark if you know what youtalk about, get with it it is 2007 close to 2008 not the 1980’s wake up and if you cann’t jion the straight group and piss off it’s time people stand together on this. Go get a life anf live it do not blame us for not accepting you. O rmove back into a small little back room and stay there nobody wants you out there with that frame of mind.
Piss off if I knew you well you can be glad I don’t.
All I can say you a sad sad dizzy old fag
Ah yes, the oracle rants!. Once I had waded through your English (or whatever..), I think I realised your vitriolic rantings were meant to upset me.. they didn’t!
Sadly for you, my age (which doesn’t worry me as much as it does you) has taught me the value of hindsight. I suppose it would be lost on you to discuss the value of subsurface discourse, so I won’t bother. But if ever you think you could raise to the bait, I’d be happy to point out your psychological insecurities.
As for “knowing me”, it wasn’t an invitation.
You are as welcome to your opinions as I am, and equally as welcome to express them (even if they are more gramatically incorrect and mispelled than mine are).
Perhaps there’s a lesson in this reply for you..? Of course, such deduction would require intelligence.
Lets launch a campaign. Let everyone know about this guest house, start an sms campaign. Money usually talks … let them become a poor “christian” household …
I agree. Yeah lets do that…
I did that, sort of. What I did was go onto their website, fill in the booking form, and added my comments there. They are sure to read it!
What a stupid suggestion. It’s a matter of time b4 the whole Christian vs. moffie thing crops up again I guess, so I’ll just jump in.. I’m a gay Christian – the two definitions are not necessarily mutually exclusive. to create a “poor Christian household” is anathema to me.. What a foolish suggestion!
guest. Guys, I am the one half of the couple that were told to piss off by this guesthouse. As everyone in a relationship knows there are 2 opposites – cos they attract. Johan my boyfriend made the booking – he’s the shy one, so he decided to check their gay friendliness. I am the motormouth in the relationship, and NO I would not have asked. But am I ever so FRIGGIN’ glad he did! Johan has a history of being shunned by so called christians, so perhaps it was a knee jerk reaction of his to check. He studied to become a minister and was chased away from the church when they learned he was gay. Perhaps that should shed some light on – why he checked.
The reason I am making such a huge issue about this whole debacle is because none of us ever bother to stand up for our rights. We enjoy them when other people fight tooth and nail to get them for us. But when it’s time to stand up for our rights, we sit and judge those who have the guts to say something. We all seem to think that because we can get married etc, all’s right with this world, but the behaviour of this guesthouse clearly proves it is not. Can you imagine what would have happened if we rocked up and the SHOCKING discovery was made. And if that had happened we would not have this email as proof of this blatant discrimination. So NO we were certainly NOT trying to provoke any reaction. Johan does not have one provocative bone in his body. We’re doing this for all of you and all the people who have been downtrodden before us. Sometimes this kind of thing turns real bad and when we hear about some gay person bashed or killed by this, we just shake our heads and go on with our lives. I don’t want to do that anymore. So to all our GAY critics out there just sitting on your perky little asses flinging your own judgements around, please reconsider and rally behind us. This is going to the equality court and it will be HUGE for us when we win. We have a couple of heavy weights behind us that feel very strongly about this. So next time you enjoy your freedom, just remember it didn’t just happen. Someone like Johan and I had to withstand a good beating and listen to some really ugly stuff to make freedom possible. It makes me nauseous to think we’re getting flack from fellow homosexuals.
Dear St. Morne… .. when I need and your BF to fight my battles for me or to prejudge my point of view regarding the rest of society, I’ll flush!
You want to create a little campaign? You go right ahead! Count me out! And the whole “getting thrown out of church because he’s gay” argument is just so hackneyed.. There are different – and more successful – ways of dealing with the loud and proud gay vs straight issues, than your approach. Either get off your pedestal or apply more lube!
to puyi. Another dizzy queen for jesus, god help us all. You agree with the actions of the guest house and you are free to believe anything that pops into your befuddled head, but why do you have to turn this into a personal bitching session? Slow day at the church bake sale? Morne does not want to be a saint, he simply want to do the right thing. And your stunningly clever lube comment, wow with all your obvious talents, you manage to be so refreshingly witty too. Spoken like a true christian. Now run along and go and hallucinate somewhere else about your loving god, son and ghost team and leave people alone that are trying to make a real difference in a real world.
none so blind… … sigh.. you write all that so I should take offence? Pfff! Nah – I’ll just take that whence it comes..
“Right”?? Heaven (no pun intended) forfend that I should be entutled to my own opinion.
.. oh er, and by the way, God bless you too!
Let’s get it right. Why do people feel that asking is provocative? Better to know what you are dealing with than getting stranded in the middle of nowhere with no alternative choices, especially if you are on business and don’t have time to waste. We cannot keep on living like second class citizens; this guesthouse is flying in the face of the constitution and is now using religion to mask their bigotry. The longer we sit around too scared to offend or provoke the longer people will assume that it is acceptable to treat us with ignorant fear and contempt.
oh rubbish!. If the guests had had a confirmed reservation and had pitched up at the venue and had been turned away, there would have been plenty of legal loopholes to pursue..
puyi. puyi puyi puyi puyi puyi puyi puyi puyi puyi
I just know you’re the kind of girl who’s ever so clever, with your little underdeveloped peepee, your motheaten wig, glasses on chain around the neck and halitosis – that you will check these posts everyday for the next 20 years just to see no one else has the last word. Woman alone you will have the world speak POOYEE, you are afterall according to your squint best faghag friend at church the clevererest and wittiest mo she knows. You win, you are the most vitriolic in the land. Amen
Thanks!. Nice to see a real man post an intelligent reply with his own name.. (not)