Gay couple make complaint against decorator who refused to paint their home

Steve Hopkins

‘Just another day in the life of a practising homo’

A gay couple have made a complaint after a Christian painter reportedly refused to decorate their home.

Joshua and George, who have declined to give their surname, shared a post on Twitter appearing to show a message they received from a female tradeswoman.

The message says that she can not paint their two-bedroom Bristol house because of her’s church’s “recommended guidelines.”

The couple did not identify the tradeswoman but have told how they were “gobsmacked” and left “seething” by her response and have complained to the trading website where they found her services. They hope it will help raise awareness about homophobia.

The case has echoes of the gay cake row in Northern Ireland that led to a seven-year legal fight. Belfast bakery, Ashers, refused to produce the cake, featuring the Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie, in 2014 for Gareth Lee, who was a supporter of the campaign to legalise same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled Lee’s case was inadmissible in January 2022. The ECHR said it would not reconsider the decision of the UK supreme court, which had overturned a £500 damages award imposed on Ashers, which is run by evangelical Christians.

Explaining why they are not naming the painter, Joshua, 23, told LGBTQ magazine Attitude: “I don’t necessarily feel comfortable holding the doors, and opening the floodgates.”

He explained that “as much as we don’t respect her does not deserve to be piled on.”

Joshua and his partner, 26, wanted their bedroom painted. He said they invited the decorator over for a quote, but noticed her attitude changed when he mentioned his partner. The couple only wanted a “boring paint job.” He told ITV News:

“We were in the master bedroom when she asked if my partner was in and I replied ‘no he’s not’ that I first thought something was wrong.”

The woman is said to have then left the property and sent the message, which Joshua shared on twitter, hours later.

Alongside the message, Joshua wrote on social media: “Just another day in the life of a practising homo – a tradesperson outright refusing to do some painting/decorating because of my sexuality.”

Supporters urged them to sue under the Equalities Act 2010 which bans discrimination due to sexual orientation but they are not currently keen to take such a serious step.