Lesbian Couple Denied Family Discount

A lesbian couple was denied a family discount at a sports club in Manchester Township, Pa., because the state and the club do not recognize same-sex marriages. 

Michelle Gladfelter applied for the discount with her partner, Sandy Gladfelter, and their 5-year-old daughter for the Green Valley Swimming Pool and Sports Club. Russ Jacobs, owner of the club, called Gladfelter and told her the application for the discount had been denied because "we don't recognize same-sex marriages," Jacobs said, according to the York Daily Record.

Jacobs added that the choice was not a matter of politics but economics, claiming that if he gave the discount to LGBT couples, he would then have to extend it to grandparents and cousins. He also said that marriage is not a factor, because the discount is available for unmarried heterosexual couples, the Record reported. "I have to draw the line somewhere," Jacobs said.

The Record reports that the Gladfelters say they have been discriminated against, but Manchester Township does not have an LGBT-inclusive antidiscrimination law in place.