A recent story in the Mail on Sunday, highlighting an instance where two lesbians were ejected from a baseball game for kissing, highlights how the law in the United Kingdom differs from that of the United States when it comes to enforcement of equal rights for homosexuals.
The Equality Act 2010 came into force on 1 October 2010. It prohibits discrimination in respect of the provision of services by, for example, owners of sports venues on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, civil partnerships, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. The burdens on employers, as well as service providers, are heavy.
While on the face of it, of course, no employer or service provider would ordinarily wish to discriminate, the Equality Act 2010 provides for unlimited damages to be awarded, together with compensation for injured feelings – and the burden of proof is reversed.
In other words, if you are accused of discrimination, you are required to prove that you have not discriminated against the complainant.
While there are, as ever, various exemptions that apply that should, in theory, prevent baseless claims from being brought by those who feel they have been discriminated against, the Equality Act 2010 provides a powerful disincentive to those whose attitudes remain stuck in the 1800s and will be a powerful weapon to be deployed by those whose rights are infringed.
For specific advice relating to your situation, whether as a potential complainant or as a respondent to any complaint, contact Griffin Law in confidence by email at justice@griffinlaw.co.uk.
Bullying & Harassment, Discrimination, Equality, Equality Act 2010
