By Erica James-King, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE RT. Rev. Howard Gregory, Anglican Suffragan Bishop of Montego Bay, has swiped at calls in the United Kingdom for a boycott of Sandals Resorts for banning same-sex couples from vacationing at its properties.
Describing as 'imperialistic', the pronouncements of Barbara Roache, a former British Equality Minister, Bishop Gregory urged decision-makers in the hotel industry to stoutly resist any move by the British to impose their values on Jamaican hotels and other institutions.
"A certain parliamentarian in Eng-land is pushing for the exclusion of Sandals advertisements because it insists that 'couples' means 'heterosexual couples'. Now, I make no apology for saying this is imperialism in its worst form," Bishop Gregory declared.
At The Gleaner's Editors' Forum in Montego Bay on Wednesday, he called for Jamaican and Caribbean people to partner against foreign imperialism in all its forms.
ECONOMIC PRESSURES
"This is imperialism in its worst form, where we are going to be told how we must run our society, and if we do not comply, what economic pressures will be applied to us. I think we need to resist it," he said.
The Sandals group, which has its corporate offices in Montego Bay, says it will not be backtracking on its 'heterosexuals-only' policy.
Leo Lambert, director of corporate communications for the Sandals/ATL Group, says Sandals regards any plea for it to change its policy as "tantamount to insulting and offending the clientele who have supported us for 22 years."
He told The Gleaner in an interview from Beaches Turks and Caicos, a property in the chain: "We are not going to resign no matter how many threats come our way from that business model."
According to Mr. Lambert, the mixed-couples business model has reaped enormous success for Sandals and the hotel chain saw "absolutely no reason to change it at this time." He suggested that the critics of Sandals' policy, shop around for hotels that cater to their taste and sexual orientation.
"The hotel business is largely driven by niche markets. Our niche is mixed or heterosexual couples only," he said. "If people have tastes that are not compatible with what we are offering as a product, then it is their duty to go and find in the marketplace, products that suit their taste."
However, he said that the hotel group was not opposed to abandoning aspects of its advertising strategy.
Godfrey Dyer, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), classified Roache's remarks as "gay rights talk."
He said the JHTA intended to ignore the comments.
"Ignoring them is the better way out, at least for the time being. I don't see it as an issue we need to take up. I don't think there is much we can do about their calls."
