VIRGINIA: Gay Couple & Toddler Son Turned Away By The Roanoke Athletic Club

The Advocate reports:

In preparation for the hot Virginia summer, Will Trinkle signed his partner  and 2-year-old son for a family membership to a Roanoke gym with a pool. The Roanoke Athletic Club approved membership for Tinkle, his partner Juan Granados, and their son Oliver.
However once club administrators discovered that Trinkle and Granados were a gay couple, their membership was rescinded nine days after being approved. They said the application was processed by mistake since same-sex couples are not recognized by the state of Virginia, and that the club was tightening its policies, so that gay families would ever “get as far” as they had.
“We were really surprised. It’s like someone punched us in the stomach,” Trinkle said according to Change.org. “We couldn’t imagine this kind of discrimination.”
The family is now suing the club and its affiliate Carillion Clinic for breach of contract and violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, according to the Associated Press.
The Change.org petition also calls on Carillon Clinic to extend full family benefits to all married and unmarried same-sex couples.

According to ABC News Nightline’s Terry Moran, The Roanoke Athletic Club changed its policy today:

The Roanoke Athletic Club changed its policy today. They will now allow families headed by gay couples to hold “household memberships.”

— Terry Moran (@TerryMoran) July 5, 2012