From Executive Director Selisse Berry:

My "Husband" and I

Not long ago I got a phone call from one of those companies that offer you a free vacation as they try to convince you to buy timeshare property. The salesperson on the phone told me all about the fantastic offer they had for me and my husband. Of course, I replied that I don’t have a husband, I have a partner named Cynthia. The next time she called, she inquired again after my husband, and I again told her that I don’t have a  husband, I have a partner named Cynthia. We had this same conversation on all three phone calls.

When Cynthia and I arrived in Hawaii to enjoy our vacation, the travel arrangements had all been set for me and “my husband Mark Jones.” The timeshare company was so unprepared to respond to a lesbian couple that they made up a fake husband for me!

I suspect that if the timeshare company spent a little more time on diversity programs, I would have had a more positive experience and would have been much more likely to buy a timeshare instead of just taking a free vacation with my husband Mark, who looked and sounded a lot like my partner Cynthia.

I’m sure we’ve all had similar experiences, like having the infamous “one bed or two” conversation with hotel staff all over the world. Simple  conversations with financial institutions, medical professionals, and the hospitality industry, often become frustrating situations of blatant or subtle discrimination.

The good news is that things are changing. These are all workplaces where LGBT people are having an impact and making changes, often with the help of Out & Equal.

And also know there is a quick and painless way of easing your frustration when you encounter a homophobic interaction. Download the letter describing our Building Bridges training. Tailor the letter to fit the situation and send it off.

Email us to let us know and we’ll follow up. Don’t allow an uneducated person to dampen your vacation. Stand up, write a letter and plan to join us in Washington, D.C. September 27-29. See you there.

Selisse Berry
Executive Director