I am planning a trip to Arizona and the Grand Canyon with my significant other next spring. Though I know that the bigger cities are for the most part gay-friendly, I was wondering about the lodges in the national parks. We were thinking about visiting Zion and Bryce Canyon as well as the Grand Canyon. Will we be frowned upon by getting a room with just one bed? This post is not meant to be contraversial, just looking for an answer. Any comments?

Nothing to worry about. Gay friends of ours have had no problems.

I would not imagine this would be a problem.

However, it reminds me of a story while in Utah.

We were in the Zion parking lot (before the shuttles). It was very hot. We took a few hikes and came back to the car. A friend changed his shirt.

A few minutes later, as we were near the car drinking water.. a park policeman came over and said there had been a complaint of "indecent exposure" and "undressing in public". A lady reported it. We said we didn't see anyone, that we had been hiking and just got back to the car and changed into a dry shirt.

Well, the park ranger broke down in a little smirk, and just about laughed, but controlled himself. He said that the complaint was from a lady who was part of a Latter Day Saints Church group.

She must have seen my friend change his shirt (all of 30 seconds) and reported it! We chuckled, then felt a strange kind of "sad"

I just can't let this comment go by. I am a member of the said group and I find this story hard to believe. Maybe it was a very old lady and it was more an generation gap thing!

Yo Maggie.....you have a problem with very old ladies?? Could be my mother!!!

Maggie,

It is true. It was fall of 1995. I will never know who made the complaint, but I won't ever forget the NPS ranger's reaction.

I do have more to say about why I do believe this could happen in a Utah park, but won't on this travel site. If you want, lets move this discussion over to soc.culture.usa and I will support my reasons and listen to yours.

Keep your shirt on.

I highly recomment the Cayman Islands for friendly to gays. They folks there are very religious and so very tolerant to gays. Particularly if 1000 of them arrive at once say off a cruise ship. Then, the locals just love to mingle with and be a part of a large group of gay men who walk around fondling each other and doing lots of nasty salacious acts while walking around the Caymans.

I agree with x that to some it isn't a joke. I have some gay friends of mine that tell me when they vacation somewhere other than a big city that they always get a room with two double beds even though they only use one of them.

Elder Aaron: I am laughing out loud here!!!!
You people are all too funny-- including the original poster Mike. For heaven's sake, you're going to a national park. Who cares if you have one bed or two???

Whenever I make reservations at a hotel they always ask me how many ADULTS, not how many men or how many women. I suspect that not too many people will care one way or another if you get one bed or two and won't know until you arrive that it is a room for a gay couple. Only the people at the reservation desk will know the details of your accomodations and that can be as individual as anyone's reactions. It would be my guess that they won't care either.

Mike, sorry I can't help you with your question but to the other pathetic posters on this forum you show why the US is so regressive in treating their minority neighbors (especially gays) compared to other industrialized countries. Get a grip, this question is probably not just about 1 or 2 beds but in a bigger context of being treating like a second class citizen in a lodging establishment or public place, something you never have to think about. That is quite obvious from your juvenile & ignorant posts.

Sue, what kind of moron... er, what planet did you come from? Nobody cares? Then where does discrimination come from?

Hi Sue,

Well by golly, it's good to have an appreciative audience. You know, my old ladies (I've got 7 now), have heard all my jokes already, so I'm glad to have this Internet connection coming into the farm, so I can broaden my audience.

Saaaay Sue, how'd you like to come over to the place to see how we like you? You know I'm always lookin'!? I got Nancy's (#3) cousin scheduled for a check out on Tuesday, but any time after that, I'm wide open.

Let me know.....Aaron

Jean,
Lighten up. You gay people are so sensitive!
Aaron Elder,
Thanks, but no thanks.

Sue...hon, you don't have to be gay (I'm not, so I hope you weren't interested in "me") to be sensitive.