GAY SEX HOTEL which KICKED OUT POOR TENANTS OPENS its DOORS

GAY SEX HOTEL WHICH KICKED OUT POOR TENANTS OPENS ITS DOORS


A while back, I wrote about a SRO Hotel on Granville Street, the Ambassador, which kicked out poor tenants to pave the way for a Gay tourist Hotel. This hotel has just opened and is operating as a Sex Club although their license requires them to provide hotel accommodation to travelers.

Reviewing their website, there appear to be a number of business infractions already. First off, this hotel which is named the Fahrenheit, obviously named after their sex club brand, which goes by the name Fahrenheit and M2M, is charging a $10.00 guest fee. The finer hotels in this city do not charge these 'guest fees' and the SRO's are prevented by law from doing this. It is illegal and is nothing but a money grab and I hope the City of Vancouver addresses this.

Moreover, this hotel, has made their entire second floor clothing optional. Nudity in a hotel seems OK but is nudity acceptable in the public hallways and public washrooms of a public hotel? Remember this hotel does not have private washrooms and so all tenants must use the public toilets. The reason Fahrenheit chose not to put in private washrooms was because they would need to apply to the City for re-development permits and building permits. They didn't want to do this as it would take more time and they wanted to capitalize on this years summer trade.

Another concern is this hotel claims it only rents to an all male clientele and I wonder if this means they are excluding lesbian women and transgender people from registering at the hotel? If they in fact, are doing this, are they openly discriminating and breaching our British Columbia Human Rights Code? It really is a sad day when gay men choose to discriminate.

This hotel is also off erring guests of their hotel, free entry into their BDSM sex Club (M2M) which is located in the basement of the hotel. It seems they are doing this in order to pump up the sagging fortunes of M2M which is widely known in the local gay community as Crystal Meth Central--where devotees of Barebacking--PnP (party and play).

Barebacking refers to the practice of anal intercourse without the use of condoms. Most Barebackers are carrying the deadly AIDS virus think because their viral load is non-detectable that they can't transmit the deadly HIV virus and AIDS. It needs to be pointed out that while an HIV individual may have an undetectable viral load, it only means its undetectable with the current screening tests IN PLACE. It doesn't mean that they cannot transmit the deadly HIV virus. For men to pass the HIV virus this way is akin to murder and they should stop this.

This new business by Fahrenheit just co-incidentally has opened at the same time that an independent 10,000 sq ft bathhouse is trying to open its doors on West Pender. The Friction baths have been held up in red tape for over a year now but I understand they are very close to opening. Is it any wonder that the Fahrenheit chain has opened a hotel which really is going to operate as a sex club. Talk about bending the city licensing requirements.

This tampering with city licensing regulations by Fahrenheit may be quite illegal because these clubs are supposed to have membership and this raises a concern over whether their hotel guests will not be required to take out a membership as the City of Vancouver requires for these types of clubs? Moreover, are Mr. Admundson and Mr. Hornsby, owners of Fahrenheit playing loose with their hotel license in order that they may operate as a quasi legal Sex Club? On the third floor of the Hotel, they are showing male porn in a common lounge.

I suspect the owners of Fahrenheit Hotel and Baths will be upset over this blog, however, I must lay out a disclaimer here.

I am deeply concerned that the Fahrenheit owners, Bill Admundson and Michael Hornsby, have chosen to engage in what amounts to be poor bashing. Their complete disregard for poor people and kicking these vulnerable people around is not acceptable. Sources in the gay community, allege the Fahrenheit owners may have have done far worse to their competition in this city. This is a whole other story and can wait for another column.

It should be noted that three bathhouses not owned by this Fahrenheit chain have mysteriously burned down over the past 14 years in Vancouver.

I will follow up on this matter and make sure these Fahrenheit owners comply with government regulations and city licensing.

This Hotel conversion is the start of what will happen as the 2010 Olympics moves closer. Its Expo all over again. For those not around during 1985, let me refresh you on the happenings. SRO hotels which traditionally provided cheaper accommodation for low income people, turfed out their long-term tenants to make room for higher paying tourists. Many poor people were made homeless by this crass business practice.

While poor people helped private owners pay off their bank mortgages, complete disregard was shown to these tenants in an effort to cash in on more lucrative tourist dollars.

And now the owners of Fahrenheit have done the same.

Will someone be willing to stand up to the bullying tactics of Mr. Admundson and Mr. Hornsby? Someone already has. Stay tuned folks.


Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yajhoo.com