A Florida Keys cisgender woman says she is the victim of discrimination after being denied a stay at an all-male, clothing-optional resort geared toward gay and bisexual men in Key West. But the story is all kinds of messy and stems from two previous incidents, reports the Keys Weekly.
According to a complaint filed to the Florida Commission on Human Relations against the Island House Key West resort, state resident Amina Chaudhry claims the business has a discriminatory policy that caters to male patronage over women, and she is seeking to have the policy reversed.
Representing herself during an administrative hearing about the complaint, Chaudhry said she is seeking no monetary damages and only wishes to have any court costs and legal fees incurred covered by the resort’s owners.
But the plot thickens.
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According to the owners of Island House Key West, women are allowed and encouraged to stay at the report. There are separate apartment units available for this purpose. However, Chaudhry was one of many non-guests at the resort who were asked to leave after the end of a Pride fundraising event held at its pool and the resort returned to a clothing-optional dress code.
The owner explained that Chaudhry was asked to leave because she was not a guest at the resort, not because she is a woman. Although female resort guests are not allowed into the clothing-optional section of the building, the resort has an agreement with a resort next door to provide pool amenities for female guests.
Chaudhry reportedly attended the annual fundraiser at Island House in 2021 and 2022. But last year, she placed flyers around the resort claiming the owner was discriminatory. She was then denied a night stay at the resort.
About the 2022 incident, owner Bobi Lore testified that he felt “affronted” by her actions.
“Here was someone who was invited to the space and enjoying it, but while passing out literature to the detriment of our property and aggravating our guests,” he said before administrative law Judge John Van Laningham. “We eventually had the police escort her off the property.”
A judge will now consider testimony from Chaudhry and the resort owners and draft a recommended order to the Commission on Human Relations.
Attorney Wayne Larue Smith, who is one of two attorneys representing Lore, said that he is confident that the hearing went well and the judge “has a good grasp of the circumstances.”
He added, “We are persuaded that our methods and model of doing business are in full compliance with the law.”
dbmcvey
Karen at the bath house.
Derek Northcutt
That sounds like a new musical starring Patti Lupone!
Darson
Why is it so hard for hags to know when to leave the party?
Jack Meoff
Is it just a ploy to get the bathhouse closed down?
Derek Northcutt
The Island House is not a bathouse. It is a respectable bed-and-breakfast that caters to gay men. Your wish to discredit it with a reductive name is not only boring but is a thing Trump does. I’ve stayed there: it’s nice.
barryaksarben
your screen name shows the simple mind you have. Im sure that in your tiny brain it is hilarious
gregg2010
It may not be a “bathhouse,” but as much sex goes on there as in any true bathhouse. Having stayed there on three occasions . . .
miamistars
It is not a bathhouse. Obviously you have never been there. It’s a well-run professional establishment that offers clean accommodations for its guests. My husband and I have been going there for years because it is one of the few hotels in KW where we feel comfortable being together and married. It is a resort providing breakfast, lunch and dinner so you don’t ever have to leave it’s premises. We love it!
RIGay
And so it begins. Next up, Rhonda moves in to make a law banning clothing optional, state wide, regardless of town acceptance.
The only argument is that “We insist on genital inspection”.
Matthewnow
Sometimes hags gonna hag.
Rambeaux
“NO FISH-ing IN THE POOL”
Mack
I don’t know where you come up with her being “trans”. I re-read the article and can’t find it anywhere. Perhaps you know something we don’t know. if please put the information forth.
mujerado
Why does it matter, in this case? Transwoman or ciswoman, there’s a place for her to stay there if she just follows their rules. It seems like she’s just trying to cause them trouble. There may be more to it, but that’s all that comes through in the article.
djbear
I have stayed at Island House twice and felt extremely comfortable there. At what point can gay men enjoy the company of other gay men without having females present? For me, having come out late in life, after a 34 year marriage to a woman, I relished being able to be with gay men.
Openminded
I’m all for IH prevailing in court on this, BUT, the queer community gets all up in arms when a straight bakery wants to refuse service to a gay patron. This can be twisted to be a gay male owner refusing FULL accessibility to a public accommodation. I want to think the provision of alternate pool facilities will cover IH’s butt, but it could go either way. Won’t surprise me to see IH become a “male member’s only” facility selling $10 memberships to all who visit/stay there. Like they say, “you can’t have your cake and eat it too”.
Kangol2
So @ricardo, are you saying Amina Chaudhry identifies as a transman, i.e. a man? If so, where does HE say this?
From the article: “State resident Amina Chaudhry claims the business has a discriminatory policy that caters to male patronage over women, and she is seeking to have the policy reversed.”
Also: “Chaudhry said she is seeking no monetary damages and only wishes to have any court costs and legal fees incurred covered by the resort’s owners.”
So is Queerty reporting the story in an incomplete and incorrect manner? What gives?
winemaker
Really why would a female want to go to a rrsort exclusively for gay men ither than to cause trouble? Hopefully I’m not missing something here. There are places strictly for men and the’re those strictly for women, no opposites allowed and BTW it’s legal