Real Estate Firm Bars Gays From Neighborhood

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/08/082305realEstate.htm

A human rights body has determined that a real estate office in northern Virginia is guilty of discrimination against gays.

The Alexandria Human Rights Commission ruled that Long and Foster Realtors in McLean, Virginia discriminated when they sold an Alexandria home to a married couple -- rather than to a gay man willing to pay more for it.

Lawrence Cummings accused Long and Foster Realtors of discrimination based on sexual orientation and marital status, but the commission did not specify which of the charges it agreed with.


why any gay person would want to live in Virginia is simply beyond me

[getmeouttahere]

1. That's what I say about a place like Alabama or Miss...

but didn't think we'd have to add Virginia to the list!

[murray hill farm]

3. it should still be his choice!

i love it that he fought back..and won!

[etherealtruth]

2. Having lived there for several years (1990's) ...

... this does not surprise me in the least. I insisted that my former spouse and I fire an agent because he found it appropriate to listen to Rush Limbaugh as we drove around looking at properties (The man was horrified when I asked him to turn it off as I found it very offensive). The telling part to my rambling story is that it didn't even occur to the agent that anyone would find Rush Limbaugh offensive.

[teenagebambam]

6. How much autonomy

do individual Long & Foster offices have? My partner and I had a very good experience with them in suburban DC (the Maryland side). We bought a house in a VERY conservative-leaning neighborhood (lots of families living in their homes for 40+ years, lots of "Support President Bush and the Troops" signs in yards, etc) and live next door to a Long & Foster agent. Of course, we are good-natured and beloved by all, I suppose that helps. But we really didn't face any problems at all.

[etherealtruth]

7. The disturbing issue for me ....

... was the fact that (in general) good business practice dictates that one choose (radio, tv, music ... whatever) likely to offend no one. The agent we worked with really thought Limbaugh fell into that benign/ unoffensive category and claimed no one had ever objected before (this was a "top" performing agent).

Of course, I too, was able to get along with everyone (at the time I was married to a conservative, though).

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. Can we stop with talk about Virginia "turning blue" now?

Seriously, they're not even close.

[Maraya1969]

5. I don't know if this is considered reverse discrimination but

when I was managing apartments I LOVED to rent to gay men. I never had one problem and their places were immaculate and many did their own upgrades.

I hope the "family" they sold it too puts a swing set in the front yard, doesn't cut the grass and their kids fire bee bee pellets at the neighbors windows. I hope they end up with a ratty teenager who buys a clunker of a car and fixes it in the front driveway and then races it down the streets.

Not only are prejudiced people cruel they are oftentimes insanely stupid.

[mitchtv]

8. I keep wondering, what does the seller think?

I would not be happy with the agent, even if I hated gays(I would be leaving the neighborhood anyway)