What are places of public accommodation?
A “place of public accommodation” is “any school, restaurant, store, establishment or other facility at which services, facilities, goods, privileges, advantages, benefits or accommodations are offered to the general public. This also includes most hospitals, professional offices (such as doctors, dentists, lawyers and accountants), retail stores, inns, hotels and schools. In addition to privately owned places of public accommodation, a governmental entity, like a municipality or the State of Vermont, is considered a “public accommodation” if it owns, leases or operates a place that offers any goods, services, benefits, etc. to the general public, including jails and prisons.
Any item or service that is offered by a place of public accommodation cannot be refused, denied or withheld from you on the basis of your sex, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability or because you are a nursing mother.