So I’ve been MIA for a while, I know. But my MIA-ness is related to the topic of today’s post: apartments for homosexuals.

Since our relocation here, my boyfriend (J.D.) and I have been living in a fairly lovely trailer outside of town. But lately we’ve been talking about relocating for a myriad of reasons, mostly related to our internet service. We aren’t ALL that far outside of town; there are neighborhoods chocked with houses less than a mile down the street. But for some reason, we have been refused service by both DSL and Cable internet. We went with satellite instead and had terrible luck. Because of the bf’s schooling, he needs to be able to download several videos per day, and HughesNet has a download limit. The amount we require well exceeds the limit, so we canceled the service. (And not without hassle, shady dealings, and great expense, I might add. We boo them whenever their commercials come on now.)

The bottom line is, we need to move, and in order to save money we elected to partner up with a friend (who is of the male gender) and rent a 2-bedroom for the three of us. So while I’ve been at work, J.D. and our male friend have gone apartment hunting. Most places rejected us right out because of our large dog. But finally when they did find a place who would accept good old 45-pound Socrates, they told us that under no circumstances could they allow two people who are not married or related to share a bedroom.

At first I was angry because my marital status, or lack thereof, is none of their business. I assumed I was the problem, the girlfriend living in sin, the painted lady. I’ve gotten this before, but it’s never prevented me from finding a place to live before.

I changed my tune when J.D. and our male-gendered friend asked if the rules would be different if THEY were the ones sharing the room. I think they presumed they’d found a loophole, but the apartment office was having none of it. No 2-bedrooms for three people. Ever. Under any circumstances.

I have since become convinced that this is an anti-gay measure. If we were desperate for living space, J.D. and I could – in theory – run off to a courthouse and get a marriage license. No problem. But he and our friend could not – at least not in this state. The caveat prevents the apartment complex from ever having to rent to any couple of whose lifestyle they do not approve.

I’m interested to know if anyone else has run into this problem. Was this just an isolated incident, or are apartment rentals now subject to the same moral codes as morning-after pills and sex ed?