Last week, nearly all of the mainstream newspapers covered the story of how lesbian honeymooners, Gemma and Tamsin Harman claimed that they had been victims of homophobia whilst celebrating their marriage in the Dominican Republic.

By the weekend many of the usual anti-gay newspapers commented that Gemma and Tamsin were basically whinging because they did not get their fair share of rum delivered to their room.

After the story broke, I went to meet Gemma and Tamsin in Leeds to chat about their ordeal and to find out what really happened on their honeymoon. If what they say is true (and there is no doubt in my mind that it is all true) then these women were treated appallingly.

From the moment they arrived in their dream resort, the couple say that Thomson staff, who were positively fawning over straight honeymooners, refused to even acknowledge they were on honeymoon instead, they kept referring it as their holiday.

The Thomson staff, though promising to help those there on special occasions to celebrate, refused to arrange a romantic meal for the couple, though they managed to do it for the straight couples.

The Thomson staff did arrange for many extras to be sent to the rooms of the straight couples to help them celebrate their stay but when the Harman’s asked for the same, they were told that the stock was being liquidated.

The stress of the honeymoon took a massive toll on both women. Tamsin suffers from M.E and the symptoms of this became so exacerbated by the stress of their honeymoon that the couple had to cancel one of their planned trips. But, when trying to get a refund, one of the Thomson staff insisted that there was nothing wrong with her.

After two weeks of expressing their dissatisfaction, the pair thought that at least one of the Thomson staff may have actually begin to listen when she said that she would arrange for the pair to get a flight upgrade on the way home by way of apology for their treatment. But, when they arrived at the airport and realised that their seats were not Premier ones, they asked another member of Thomson staff about it. The couple say that he screamed and shouted at them, in the middle of the airport and called them liars.

The reason for highlighting that the Thomson staff had a problem with the couple is for the simple fact that many newspapers have claimed that it was the residents of the Dominican Republic that had an issue with the women. Some of the Sunday papers have said that we should not expect other countries to have the same ‘relaxed attitude to homosexuality as we have in Britain.’

Tamsin and Gemma told me in no uncertain terms that the locals that they met during their stay were incredibly happy and excited that they were there on honeymoon. They asked to see wedding photos, they invited them to meet other members of their families and they were genuinely pleased for the pair.

Homophobia comes in many forms. Here, the Thomson staff should have given the same service to Gemma and Tamsin as they gave to straight people, they did not. The Thomson staff had a duty to be professional but, because Gemma and Tamsin are a lesbian couple, they were not.

Homophobia led to two people being screamed at in the middle of a busy airport and it also turned, what should have been the happiest two weeks of their lives, into a living nightmare.

 Now, some newspaper columnists have been delighted to jump on the bandwagon of homophobia and say that women should know better than to flaunt their sexuality and that they deserved their treatment.

Sadly, this all goes to prove that there are still many people out there who are filled with hate and are terrified of those who love.

I very much hope that Tamsin and Gemma have an amazing life together and that their ordeal is not one that many have to repeat.

Sarah Carmody

editor@gayleeds.com