Bert Robbins wrote:
"thunder" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 10 Oct 2005 07:35:27 -0400, Bert Robbins wrote:


Depends on the business, but if it's one of public accommodation,
restaurant, bars, hotels, theaters, and such, you better hire better
security, because you can't ban an entire class of people. And let's
be honest, not every purple haired person has robbed you. I know quite
a few purple haired people that are fine, upstanding, hard-working
Americans.

There are some workout centers in my area that don't allow a certain
class
of people. Would you like to join me in demonstrating against them?

Wouldn't let you in, huh? ;-) I'm not a lawyer, but I would suspect you
are talking about workout centers that have a membership, as in a "club".
They would be under a completely different standard. An example:

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/LAW/06/...gay.boyscouts/

Nice try. These businesses refuse to let me use their facilities.

Seriously- under what pretext?

If these are "private" athletic clubs then surely all non-members would
be barred from using the facilities. You start to get some traction on
this issue if the opportunity to join isn't available to anybody caring
to apply *and* if the club has advertised, "Join Hercules Health Club,
only $99 a month!" Some clubs, like the popular "Curves" franchises,
are for women only.

If the club doesn't advertise that membership will be granted to
anybody willing to pay $99 amonth, as a private organization it has the
right to include or exclude anybody and for a wide variety of arbitrary
factors.

I got some legal advice on this issue a few years ago when I was
serving as the Board Chairman of a local yacht club. We had a mess in
which an extremely conservative board member "pressured" (as we later
discovered)one of the general membership to write a letter to the board
objecting to the sexuality of a third member in good standing. The
author of the letter was an extremely well liked individual, and the
letter contained a threat to withdraw from the club because he felt
that having a person of non-traditional sexuality cross dressing at
club functions was exerting a terrible influence on his kids. By a
1-vote margin the board voted to have the Board Chairman confront this
member and pressure him to resign.

Leary of a lawsuit based on "sexual discrimination", I sought legal
advice and learned that as a private club that didn't publicly offer
memberships, the club was free to discriminate against anybody it
pleased.

(I had a discussion with the person of non-traditional sexuality, and
requested that the person come dressed as a man to club functions as he
had been introduced as Mr. So-and-so when he had joined the club and
the members had a right to make the assumption that he was a man. He
was very willing to comply, as long as he could be allowed to dress as
a woman when he was aboard his private boat or not at a club function.
Not satisfied with this arrangement, the original person who had
pressured the letter writer made a big stink and demanded that the
cross-dressing transsexual be involuntarily removed from club
membership- comments included "It's a question of standing up for your
own principles!". I don't know how that finally resolved itself, I was
disgusted with the whole hateful affair and my term as Board Chairman
was ending, so I just dropped out and haven't been back for several
years)

So, Bert, under what grounds are you being exluded from a local club?
Is it a black club that won't admit a white person? A white club that
won't admit a black person? Is it "Curves" or one of the clubs that
advertise they are only for women? Odds are, if they are a private
organization, they have the right to invite you in or keep you out for
any arbitrary reason they might select.

BTW, you personally don't want to protest against the club if it's
"Curves". My wife looked into joining that club, but did not and will
not. The owner of the parent corporation is an ardent right winger who
makes huge donations to conservative candidates and is a major-league
supporter of "right to life"
groups. (My spouse and I disagree on abortion issues- a subject where I
am more in step with most conservatives).