A Hamilton couple found New Zealand doesn't treat same-sex couples fairly. What do you think?

A Hamilton gay couple being denied a couples two-for-one deal at a raceway park has raised questions over how New Zealand treats same-sex partners.



The incident involved Hamilton couple Amiria Te Nana and her partner Lava Leituala being denied a two-for-one promotion at Hamilton's Daytona Raceway because they were not man and woman.



Tamati Coffey, a gay former television personality turned politician, says people should ease up on the business which said a same-sex couple couldn't use a partners' deal.



The raceway said it would apologise for the incident.

Coffey, now a Labour spokesperson in Rotorua and an advocate for the gay community, said he was glad to hear that the owners have agreed to apologise.

"Let's not be too hard on the owners - it's the growing pains of a changing, more accepting and diverse society."

MARK TAYLOR/stuff.co.nz Amiria Te Nana and her partner are seeking an apology from Daytona raceway over same-sex discrimination.

"They need to turn this incident on its head and have a lesbian fun racing night - which may achieve both their goals of having more women participating and opening up their business to a brand new market."

Coffey said the promotional deal needed to be "fleshed out" a bit more so it would not happen again.

However, Trevor Easton, the general manager of Outline - a national counselling service specifically for the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, intersex and questioning (LGBTIQ) community - was outraged by the incident.

MARK TAYLOR/FAIRFAX NZ Amiria Te Nana is after an apology after she and her partner were excluded from a couples deal.

"I'm absolutely appalled. I can't believe in this day and age that we live in, that conversation needed to happen. It's a shocker."

Easton said the LGBTIQ community had a high suicide rate, which was not helped by incidences like this.

"I think a heartfelt apology and some form of compensation for the humiliation and anguish."

Te Nana and her partner, Leituala, had gone to celebrate Te Nana's sister's anniversary at Hamilton's Daytona Indoor Raceway, on Tuesday evening.

The group planned to use the Tuesday deal, which on the raceway website states each rider who pays can "bring a spouse or partner and they ride for free".

But when the pair tried to claim the deal Te Nana said the manager told them they had to prove they were in a "legitimate relationship".

The pair, who have been together for a year and a half, showed matching tattoos and were then told the deal was only available to "a man and woman, girlfriends and boyfriends".

Te Nana and the group left the raceway and later posted a complaint to the business's website. She received a response stating:

"Look we are very sorry but the promotion is for a spouse or partner, which in our thinking is husband and wife or girlfriend and boyfriend. We have a lot of people who try it on and say they are a same sex couples and they are not.

"The rule is male and female only end of story. If I let one do it I have to let everyone do it and that was not what the promotion was about."

Human rights commissioner Richard Tankersley said it was unlawful for businesses to treat people differently because of their sexual orientation.

"Anyone who believes that they have been discriminated against in this way may come to the Human Rights Commission for advice", Tankersley said.

Te Nana on Thursday morning said she and Leituala simply wanted to raise the issue of discrimination.

"As a couple we set out to bring light to this issue and hope it doesn't happen to anyone else."

"If the policy has been changed then that's as far as we want to take it."

"We are just going to go back to living our lives privately."

The owner, who refused to provide his name, said the policy had been around for the last 10 years and was originally designed for a husband to bring his wife for a free ride.

"It's not a two-for-one deal, it's for a spouse or partner. We have lots and lots of people trying it on with us, telling us they are same-sex, and basically you know they're not. Because of that we made a rule - it is male and female, husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend only."

He said it was not a personal view but had always been the raceway policy.

"How people want to be in a relationship that is up to them, but that is our policy is female and male, husband and wife."

"We never had any issues up until last night. We have never thought about it before."

Riders were not required to provide proof of being in a relationship to claim the deal, which was at the discretion of staff, he said.

"There is no one asked to provide anything, the staff have all been told it is a husband and wife and boyfriend and girlfriend."

"They were told what our policy is and they didn't like it. The rules were made because of so many people trying to get a free ride."

Under the Human Rights Act it is illegal to discriminate against someone in the provision of goods and services because of their sexual orientation.

The raceway planned to scrap the policy and open it up as a "straight two for one deal". The owner said he would also like to apologise.

"At the end of the day we are in a modern society and we do need to change it. I am quite happy to say sorry, if they are upset about it. I did say I was sorry and explained the rules."

"It is quite shocking and has highlighted a fault in our system as well."

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