Sandals question...

[Christine]

when I was planning our wedding there for a while, I asked the WC I was working with because my brother would be coming and she said it was fine, no problem at all.

[Jenn3878]

Sandals Resorts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - check this out. When I stayed at Sandals Whitehouse I heard they prefer not to have gay couples? But nothing official in writing or anything.

[IrieBride08]

When initially planning my wedding, I heard this too. I was told that my wedding guests wouldn't be able to share a room if they were same sex (two women, or two men.) I spoke to the coordinator who told me that they did allow it. They have been very accomodating to my guests--several of whom are women who are sharing rooms (like my aunt and cousin, etc.)

 

Overall, I have heard that Jamaica is not very tolerant of gay lifestyles. There was a documentary on Jamaica that explored this very issue and they were interviewing several Jamaican residents who were VERY anti-gay. Very sad.

[texasex]

I talked to one of my girlfriend's whose husband is from there. It's actually illegal to be gay in Jamaica! It's considered a crime.

[starchild]

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasex I talked to one of my girlfriend's whose husband is from there. It's actually illegal to be gay in Jamaica! It's considered a crime.

Yes it is, and they have to catch you in the act to charge you. (I know way too much about this...lol) So police can't legally go around picking on people they think are gay but if they catch 2 gay people getting busy in public there is a problem.

As someone else mentioned it is more of a Jamaican-on-Jamaican issue as far as hate crimes but I guess a wrong place/wrong time scenario can happen to a tourist as well.

[chiefscribe]

Late arrival to this thread but FYI, Jamaica is among the most dangerous places in the world for LGBT people.

Jamaica: Shield Gays from Mob Attacks (Human Rights Watch, 1-2-200

 

> Bob Marley

do a web search on Bob and Rita's comments on homosexuality and you will find that their mellowness did not extend to all areas.

[Tara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IrieBride08 When initially planning my wedding, I heard this too. I was told that my wedding guests wouldn't be able to share a room if they were same sex (two women, or two men.) I spoke to the coordinator who told me that they did allow it. They have been very accomodating to my guests--several of whom are women who are sharing rooms (like my aunt and cousin, etc.) Overall, I have heard that Jamaica is not very tolerant of gay lifestyles. There was a documentary on Jamaica that explored this very issue and they were interviewing several Jamaican residents who were VERY anti-gay. Very sad.

Although we don't have any same-sex couples attending our wedding, we do have several divorcees (my parents included) and some widowed/unmarried folks who would need to be paired male/male or female/female. Our wedding is at SGOR. I asked Darma last week if this would be a problem and she said that I would need to contact the Reservation Department as she can neither confirm nor deny whether or not we would be able to do this.

Did anyone have guests that shared a room with the same sex and have to make any special accommodations for it?

[IrieBride08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tara Although we don't have any same-sex couples attending our wedding, we do have several divorcees (my parents included) and some widowed/unmarried folks who would need to be paired male/male or female/female. Our wedding is at SGOR. I asked Darma last week if this would be a problem and she said that I would need to contact the Reservation Department as she can neither confirm nor deny whether or not we would be able to do this. Did anyone have guests that shared a room with the same sex and have to make any special accommodations for it?

It really won't be a problem at all. My sister and aunt shared a room with no issues, and I had several friends who shared rooms together (girl/girl AND guy/guy.) When you submit your guest list to the resort (that indicates who's in which room), there won't be a problem with this at all. Go ahead and check with Reservations for confirmation though. It's really won't be an issue.

(PS - Congrat on losing the 10lbs!!)

[Tara]

My travel agent refused to book my aunt's trip last week!!!!

 

Our travel agency is run by an older couple and they do not directly work with Sandals (we booked through them with Apple Vacations purely to have a TA to direct our guests to otherwise we would have booked online). Anyway, my aunt called to make her reservation last Monday and he told her that he could not reserve a room for her because she has to go with a man.

 

Fast forward to Tuesday... I receive a voice mail at work from him saying that "either my sister (he didn't even pay attention when she was speaking to him obviously which kind of struck a nerve with me because my sister is dead) would not be able to book her trip unless she got a boyfriend."

 

I very calmly called back and explained that my aunt has to travel with my mother and that I had already spoken directly with reservations at Sandals (a very nice gentleman named Russell) and that he had confirmed the two would be able to share a room. I requested that if he (the TA) was unable to reserve the room for them that I could direct her to book directly through the resort. I asked that he please call me back as soon as possible and I have yet to hear from him a week later!!!!

 

The funny thing is that yes, my mother is divorced and does not have a significant other but my aunt is married. She has a son with down syndrome (he's 5) who is currently going through an emotional stage and cannot be left for more than a night without his parents so my uncle told her that he feels she should go to the wedding and that he would stay home with Ray. She's my godmother and he knows it is important for both of us that she is there.

 

So don't tell me that my "sisters" need to get boyfriends to go to the wedding. Check with the resort before you knock off comments like that!!!

 

Sorry, I'm done now. Feel much better. *blushes* Sorry I usually don't go off like that but it's been festering for a few days now.

[cougs]

wow i had no idea. makes me glad i decided to go with mexico instead, tho now i wonder how mexico is about gays? it's a very catholic country ... hmm ...