Those venues that are deemed not to be `gay friendly’ had better sort out any discriminatory behaviour or they could find themselves being prosecuted. You no longer have to be an obvious bigot to be viewed as discriminatory. Your actions and behaviour – or those of your employees - can be viewed as such, even if not directly intentional.

The Equality Act 2010 is not entirely new legislation. Legislation against sexual discrimination has been around for quite a while. The Equality Act mostly simplifies what was already in place and brings the relevant laws all together under one piece of legislation.

This includes protection from discrimination on the grounds of :

• Race
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Disability
• Religion or belief
• Being transsexual
• Being pregnant or having just had a baby
• Being married or in a civil partnership
• Age

So what should you know when planning events?

For the individual on LinkedIn looking for a gay friendly venue they can be assured that they need only look for a venue that meets their specific requirements. The sexuality of the attendees is irrelevant.

Event planners need to ensure their events are inclusive. And that means available for everyone, equally. 

They must ensure that an event visitor that may have special requirements can attend the event without harassment or discriminatory treatment against them. 

A good event manager already does this. They simply treat everyone with the same level of service and respect.

Employers should ensure that their employees know about the Equality Act. If witness to unacceptable harassment or discriminatory behaviour, employees must feel that their employer will respond appropriately.

Or the employer could face prosecution. And rightly so.

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