Look at those people
from the Sandals Caribbean
Resortswebsite -- happy-go-lucky, attractive,
and free to enjoy their heterosexuality without any
of those gays around. Phew! If they were honeymooning and some
gay couple that got married by activist judges in
Massachusetts was also there, I'd fear that those beautiful
people up there just might not make it. And then, like, they
wouldn't reproduce, and we'd be overtaken by Muslims, and
then everyone would be Communists. Boy, we sure lucked
out.
What's all this ranting
about? I heard that Sandals, a couples-only chain of luxury
resorts, has a ban on gay couples, and wanted to verify it
myself. So, I wrote the company claiming I was a gay man
looking to honeymoon with my husband, and said I was following
up on a rumor I heard about the resorts. That was about a week
ago. Their response just came...
Thank you for your inquiry
regarding our couples only policy. We appreciate the
opportunity to assist you. Please note that we currently
offer two primary resort product lines that cater to the
various leisure travel needs. While it is understandable
that some might have questions about the guest policies
at Sandals Resorts, we want to underscore that our ultra
all-inclusive Beaches Resorts are designed to appeal to
everyone. From Singles to Couples to Adults and even
Adult Families.
As to the concept of Sandals
Resorts. As you can imagine we have thousands
of requests for friends wishing to travel to Sandals
Resorts together. In order to preserve the true "couples
only" experience, we have instituted a heterosexual
couples only policy. The Sandals Product is not meant as
a judgment about gay men and lesbians, just as we're
sure that Atlantis and Olivia Cruises are not meant as a
statement about heterosexuality. Exclusionary policies
(adults only, nudists only, etc.) are not unusual in the
vacation business. For example Atlantis Cruises and
Olivia Cruises exist to serve gay men and lesbians
only.
Like those products, Sandals Resorts has
found a distinctive niche market (The Honeymoon market)
and has developed a highly successful travel product to
target it.
We certainly apologize if this has
caused you any inconvenience and completely understand
your concern. Perhaps you would feel more comfortable
vacationing with us at one of our Beaches Resorts.
Either way, we guarantee that your vacation experience
will be nothing less than spectacular.
If we can
be of further assistance, we invite you to log on to
http://ets.sandals.com/login.cfm with your assigned ticket
number and password or you can call us at 1-800-327-1991
ext.4585. We are available to help you Monday
through Friday, 7:30am to 4pm, U.S. Eastern
Time.
Thank you for choosing Sandals and Beaches
Resorts. Best regards,
Electronic Sales and
Marketing Department Sandals & Beaches
Resorts
I particularly like that Sandals
used the description "ultra all-inclusive" in an e-mail
about a discriminatory policy. It's sort of like when Fox News
gives Dubya a blowjob and headlines it, "We report. You
Decide."
But really, a niche
market of straight people? You think it would pass muster if
they said they were serving a niche market of white people?
(Which, incidentally, all the photos on their Web site seem to
suggest that. The only black person I found is some
sort of employee.)
