Christchurch real estate agent Rodney Lingham was invited to be a prize in a charity bachelor auction, but was later urged to pull out when organisers heard he was gay, the Dominion Post reports today. Lingham, 27, was invited by charity fundraiser Suzanne Bell to be one of 20 men up for grabs at the November auction in aid of the Bone Marrow Cancer Trust. Punters would bid for a romantic night out at a restaurant with the bachelor of their choice. But 10 days before bidding began, Lingham got a phone call from Bell's husband, suggesting he pull out as he had been told Lingham was gay. "In this day and age you wouldn't expect it to be a problem," says Lingham. "The bachelor auction was just a fun night out for everybody. And even if he has heard it from somebody else, where's the proof? He never asked me directly." The trust has since apologised to him in writing, but he has complained to the Human Rights Commission and sought the advice of gay MP Tim Barnett, who believes Lingham has been hard done by. "One of the powerful points Rodney has made is that you're not really buying somebody for the night, you are buying them for the evening," says Barnett. "Therefore, sexuality is really quite irrelevant. Indeed, many women would regard gay guys as quite good company."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Saturday, 2nd February 2008 - 11:21am