Can't We Ban Bigots From Politics?

Can anyone that might have found their way to this blog, please tell me what year this is? Am I right in thinking that it is 2010? Thanks to the Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling, I am beginning to become confused as to whether this really is the 21st Century or in fact, the Dark Ages.

You see Mr Grayling believes that it is appropriate for Bed and Breakfast establishments to ban homosexual couples from staying at their premises, in the interests of protecting the "genuinely held principles of faith groups". Our illustrious Shadow Home Secretary then went on to take a double standard view on the matter by suggesting that hotels should not take such an action and that he wasn't looking for a legal change. Thank you for your somewhat backwards and sideways movement on the issue Mr Grayling.

In the modern times that we live in, I find it astounding that such a tired old philosophy should be even considered as valid. The 'Pink Pound' (a term used for the purchasing power of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered community) should be just as acceptable as that of the heterosexual community in any industry here in the United Kingdom as well as the world. A member of the public who decides to open up their home as a Bed and Breakfast should be willing to accept the fact that anybody regardless of gender, race, religious belief or sexuality could be a customer in their home. A same sex couple has every right to go where they please, they are human beings who do not deserve to be treated like lepers and especially not in a time where we should be much more informed, educated and appreciative of those around us. My general stance on this remains the same, homosexuality should not have such an impact on members of the heterosexual community. Just because you have a same sex couple staying in your home, does not mean that they are going to leave their doors wide open for everyone to see them committing sex acts, nor are they going to attempt to force you into bed in the hopes of turning you. Does the world really still have such old fashioned fears and concerns?

If Mr Grayling is representative of the Tory party perspective on the GLBT community, then I personally am extremely concerned about the alternative to this currently failing Labour government. As a disabled person I am acutely aware of discrimination and it is worrying to see such an archaic viewpoint taken by a member of the opposition. Of course Mr Grayling will be feeling potentially uncomfortable by the release of his quotations, given that he didn't actually mean or want them to be heard. Thanks to The Observer newspapers secret recording of the Shadow Home Secretary, we are now painfully aware that such disgraceful views are alive and well in the modern political arena. Which leads me to ask that if Bed and Breakfast owners should be able to ban same sex couples from their home, does that mean we can start banning bigots from politics and positions of power?

Ah the joys of living in the Dark Ages.

Credit for the original story: BBC News