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Gay news: 'They gave me no prior warning', says proprietor of B&B
No room at the inn
No room for gay couple at the Christian inn
A gay couple were turned away from a Berkshire guest house because the Christian owner said it was "against her convictions" to let them share a bed.
Michael Black and John Morgan had booked a £75 double room at the Swiss B&B in Cookham for Friday night and were met outside by owner Susanne Wilkinson, who then refused to let them stay.
The couple, from Brampton, Cambridgeshire, were in the area to meet some friends for dinner and to see a local play.
Black told the BBC: "Mrs Wilkinson saw us both before we got out of the car and immediately acted in an unwelcoming, cold way, but my boyfriend and I were polite and friendly.
"All she said about her reasons for turning us away was that it went against her convictions for us to stay there.
"We're two respectable middle-aged men - John is leader of the Lib Dem group on Huntingdon town council.
"This was the first time either of us had experienced homophobia at first hand, despite being aged 56 and 62. We were shocked and embarrassed."
The couple have reported the matter to Thames Valley Police, which said the call had been logged as a homophobic incident.
Wilkinson said: "They gave me no prior warning and I couldn't offer them another room as I was fully booked.
"I don't see why I should change my mind and my beliefs I've held for years just because the government should force it on me.
"I am not a hotel, I am a guest house and this is a private house."
Under the Equality Act 2006 it is illegal to discriminate against people on the grounds of sexual orientation.
In March 2009, a gay couple sued a Christian-run hotel in Cornwall for barring them from sharing a room.
Civil partners Martyn Hall and Steven Paddy launched a county court claim seeking up to £5,000 in damages alleging "direct discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation".
Peter and Hazelmary Bull, owners of the Cyhmorvah Private Hotel in Marazion, near Penzance, defended their actions, saying they had always barred unmarried couples, whether gay or straight, from sharing a bed.
