In the UK discrimination laws apply to ALL businesses. It has to be that way if people are to be protected. Are you suggesting it's ok for a small shop owner to refuse to serve someone because they're black? Also privately owned stretches to any business not floated on the stock market so that could easily be a chain of stores all in family owned hands. There have been several cases in the UK were gay couples have been refused goods or services and the justification has been that the vendor's religion says homosexuality is wrong. The courts have rightly thrown that defense out. Civil rights apply to all. Folks can't cherry pick which laws they want to observe.Originally Posted by Kaze_
Diane's comment about Manchester (UK) is a valid one. Having said that there are areas of Manchester I wouldn't go even in drab unless I had an armed guard! Hence while I've no experience of the US other that what I see on TV and read in the press I would guess that it's less about states and more to do with smaller districts. Bigger in terms of population probably has a correlation to openness and acceptance.
