I wonder if I could start a heterosexual-only inn in New Hampshire and get away with it. Isn’t there a public accommodation law that prevents that? But check out the Highlands Inn: A Lesbian Paradise in Bethlehem, N.H., (phone 877-LES-B-INN) featured in an Associated Press travel piece.
The first time I went to Key West I did some research on the area on Alta Vista (no Google back then) and found numerous motels proudly calling themselves “Gay Only” establishments. No doubt this was not legal, which may explain why they don’t advertise that way anymore. Instead, these places rely on transparent ruses to keep “breeders” out. Here’s how the Highlands Inn keeps traditional families from stumbling into their Sapphic paradise, according to their Web site:
For added privacy, the sign always says “No Vacancy” – so if you ever drive by without reservations, ignore it!
Somehow I bet that if this Jim Crow-style ruse were being used against any other group there’d be hell to pay from the U.S. Justice Department.
