A real estate agent invited to be a prize in a charity bachelor auction was later urged to pull out when organisers heard he was gay.
Rodney Lingham, 27, of Christchurch, 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, Mr Lingham got a phone call from Mrs Bell's husband, suggesting he pull out. Ian Bell said he had been told Mr Lingham was gay.
"It was really weird," Mr Lingham said yesterday. "In this day and age you wouldn't expect it to be a problem. 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."
He would not confirm publicly whether he was gay. "It's not other people's business for a start."
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.
Gay row over bachelor auction
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