Posters withdrawn after mayor criticises company’s discriminatory policy
Bosses at London Underground have banned adverts for Sandals resorts that are said to have discriminated against homosexuals.
According to a report in The Guardian, the company ran a £200,000 advertising campaign using posters describing destinations for “romantic, mixed sex couples only”. The posters apparently caused a “furore” within London’s gay and lesbian communities – and attracted the attention of the city mayor Ken Livingstone, who persuaded London Underground to ban them.
Sandals felt it had to be explicit about who was welcome at its resorts after complaints by the Advertising Standards Authority. Livingstone said: “I am pleased to say that London Underground agreed it is not acceptable for a company with such an openly discriminatory policy to advertise on public transport in this city.”
Sandals, for its part, defended itself, saying that it aims at a niche market in the same way that companies such as Club 18-30 and Saga operate. Twelve of its 19 resorts are aimed at heterosexual couples, with the other seven open to “singles, families, groups – everyone”.
