The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007

Associations

16.—(1) This regulation applies to any association of persons (however described, whether corporate or unincorporated, and whether or not its activities are carried on for profit) if—

(a) it has 25 or more members, and

(b) admission to membership is regulated by its constitution and is so conducted that the members do not constitute a section of the public within the meaning of regulation 4(1); and

(c) it is not a trade organisation.

(2) In this regulation—

“trade organisation” means an organisation of workers, an organisation of employers, or any other organisation whose members carry on a particular profession or trade for the purposes of which the organisation exists,

“profession” includes any vocation or occupation, and

“trade” includes any business.

(3) It is unlawful for an association to which this regulation applies, in the case of a person who is not a member of the association, to discriminate against him—

(a) in the terms on which it is prepared to admit him to membership, or

(b) by refusing or deliberately omitting to accept his application for membership.

(4) It is unlawful for an association to which this regulation applies, in the case of a person who is a member or associate of the association, to discriminate against him—

(a) in the way it affords him access to any benefits, facilities or services, or by refusing or deliberately omitting to afford him access to them, or

(b) in the case of a member, by depriving him of membership, or varying the terms on which he is a member, or

(c) in the case of an associate, by depriving him of his rights as an associate, or varying those rights, or

(d) in either case, by subjecting him to any other detriment.

(5) For the purposes of this regulation—

(a) a person is a member of an association if he belongs to it by virtue of his admission to any sort of membership provided for by its constitution (and is not merely a person with certain rights under its constitution by virtue of his membership of some other association), and references to membership of an association shall be construed accordingly,

(b) a person is an associate of an association to which this regulation applies if, not being a member of it, he has under its constitution some or all of the rights enjoyed by members (or would have apart from any provision in its constitution authorising the refusal of those rights in particular cases).