A lesbian couple enterting a catfish derby in Huntington, Oregon was refused a couples discount. Angela and Tina Corriere-Gooch discovered a discount for couples while they were registering.
Despite it being a catfish derby, they were denied the discount and were then told by a representitive that "none of this boy-boy, girl-girl couples crap" included. The couple's nieces, who entered the contest with their boyfriends, and other couples were all given the hefty $1 discount.
"It's insulting and degrading that the club treated us like strangers instead of recognizing our committed relationship," said Tina.
The event's chairman, Mike Raney, claims the refusal to provide the discount had nothing to do with discrimination. He figured that discounting the lesbian couples ticket would result in having to provide all same-sex pairs, regarless of sexual orientation, with the discounted pricing.
How many people attened the derby? Apparently discrimination is entirely worth the maybe $50 less from admission sales total.
Lions Club Internation sponsored the fishy event. The Los Angeles Lambda Legal office is now involved, and sent a letter requesting written apology for denying lesbians their discounted fish.
Although Raney does not feel the Lions Club should face accusations of discrimination, he agreed to write the apology. He told the Baker City Herald "I wasn't making a statement against lesbians, I was just trying to run a catfish derby."
That being the case, why deny members of a fish event's most enthusiastic demographic a four-quarter discount? The decision to do so reeks.