6 ms·

So a guy all of a sudden sees strangers in his neighbors house. Nevermind their color - wouldn't you be suspicious if you all of a sudden saw 2 20-something du

So a guy all of a sudden sees strangers in his neighbors house. Nevermind their color - wouldn't you be suspicious if you all of a sudden saw 2 20-something dudes in your neighbors house? I know I would - I wouldn't even think twice about their color. This is the example the article is holding up as the example of racism and it isn't even racist. The trans example: I'm 100% for property owners deciding what they will and won't use their private property for. Get over it. You can't go through life getting offended at every opinion different from yours, even if you think it's irrational.

bluetidepro 10y ago
100% agree with all of this. While I'm not saying I would personally deny a trans person staying at my Airbnb, at the end of the day, it's the owner's decision. This isn't a public service where people of different race/color/religion/background/etc. are getting denied. It's all private property. It's 100% up to the owner what he/she/they want to use their property for, regardless of how ignorant/racist/stupid/etc. that choice may be.
- panzagl 10y ago
  A hotel is private property too, doesn't mean they can discriminate based on race in the US.
  - MichaelGG 10y ago
    Hotels have regulations that private homes don't. Though many of AirBnB's "hosts" would probably qualify under more regulations than they actually follow.
    - panzagl 10y ago
      I guess I'm assuming the primary use of airbnb is 'rent my house', not 'stay in my guest room'. By offering both at the same place they really do seem to be muddying the waters.
      - MichaelGG 10y ago
        I don't think so. It's more like "rent my house/residence" versus "rent one of many apartments I keep available and run like a hotel".
  - djschnei 10y ago
    Since I am not a god, and every person has a right to self ownership (extending to their property), a hotel owner has every right to decide by whatever criteria they see fit who uses their property. Just as I have every right to decide my own criteria for which hotels I would like to do business with (bigoted hotels wouldn't meet that criteria). Every person has the right to life, liberty, and property.
    - mikeyouse 10y ago
      You're being downvoted because you are objectively wrong. 42 U.S. Code § 2000a - Prohibition against discrimination or segregation in places of public accommodation > All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin. > Each of the following establishments which serves the public is a place of public accommodation within the meaning of this subchapter if its operations affect commerce, or if discrimination or segregation by it is supported by State action: > (1) any inn, hotel, motel, or other establishment which provides lodging to transient guests, other than an establishment located within a building which contains not more than five rooms for rent or hire and which is actually occupied by the proprietor of such establishment as his residence; https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/2000a https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/2000a Feel free to read up on Green Books -- Up until the 1960's, black Americans had to plan their trips out far in advance to avoid service refusals, discrimination, or outright violence at hotels throughout the country.
      - djschnei 10y ago
        Hmmm, I made no statement about current laws. I stated my beliefs on natural rights. To concede the general power of government to redress private discrimination through legislation would be to concede virtually unlimited power to the government. Humans, as independent actors, have other means to fight bigotry than infringing on one of a person's most sacred rights. You can't legislate morality.
jdavis703 10y ago
There used to be an era in America where hotels could legally discriminate, making travel for minorities extremely difficult. This is not a matter of feeling offended, but a matter of having equal access to resources.
- Cshelton 10y ago
  Private residences do not equal Hotels. If I don't want to be friends with minorities, I can choose not to be. If I do not want minorities staying in my private residence, I can refuse them staying there. Off topic...at what point do we stop calling them "minorities" when they are the majority in many regions??
  - JonFish85 10y ago
    Thing is, it stopped being a "private residence" when it became a business of hospitality. Despite what Airbnb will claim, Airbnb's clients are absolutely operating as a hotel and should be governed as such (which has the nasty side effect of probably killing the business). The second they start having to obey zoning regulations, building codes, taxation & insurance the way hotels do, their valuation drops precipitously.
  - gohrt 10y ago
    That's an argument you can make (except for the part about calling your publicly advertised commercial hotel a "private residence"), but I hope you don't also say "racism is past in America, everyone had equal opportunity now", because that would be logically inconsistent.
  - jdavis703 10y ago
    So Airbnb wants to disrupt hotels. Assuming they successfully disrupt them, does that mean that non-white, non-heterosexual, non-cisgender groups will no longer be afforded the same guarantees that other private businesses must abide by?
    - brerlapn 10y ago
qstyk 10y ago
Totally agree. AirBnB couldn't wait for the opportunity to roll over, show their soft belly, and urinate all over themselves, instead of actually recognizing the false dichotomy.
jonwachob91 10y ago
Yup. Because these black rappers where probably the first AirBnB guest to stay at that house...
- ercmilla 10y ago
  Who knows - if the neighbors knew it was an AirBnB home then why would they get so worried? There are lots of explanations for their actions that are completely reasonable. But when there is otherwise no evidence of racism, let's shout racism as loud as we can because the "movement" is more important than the facts.

bluetidepro 10y ago

100% agree with all of this. While I'm not saying I would personally deny a trans person staying at my Airbnb, at the end of the day, it's the owner's decision. This isn't a public service where people of different race/color/religion/background/etc. are getting denied. It's all private property. It's 100% up to the owner what he/she/they want to use their property for, regardless of how ignorant/racist/stupid/etc. that choice may be.

panzagl 10y ago
A hotel is private property too, doesn't mean they can discriminate based on race in the US.
- MichaelGG 10y ago
  Hotels have regulations that private homes don't. Though many of AirBnB's "hosts" would probably qualify under more regulations than they actually follow.
  - panzagl 10y ago
    I guess I'm assuming the primary use of airbnb is 'rent my house', not 'stay in my guest room'. By offering both at the same place they really do seem to be muddying the waters.
    - MichaelGG 10y ago
      I don't think so. It's more like "rent my house/residence" versus "rent one of many apartments I keep available and run like a hotel".
- djschnei 10y ago
  Since I am not a god, and every person has a right to self ownership (extending to their property), a hotel owner has every right to decide by whatever criteria they see fit who uses their property. Just as I have every right to decide my own criteria for which hotels I would like to do business with (bigoted hotels wouldn't meet that criteria). Every person has the right to life, liberty, and property.
  - mikeyouse 10y ago
    You're being downvoted because you are objectively wrong. 42 U.S. Code § 2000a - Prohibition against discrimination or segregation in places of public accommodation > All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin. > Each of the following establishments which serves the public is a place of public accommodation within the meaning of this subchapter if its operations affect commerce, or if discrimination or segregation by it is supported by State action: > (1) any inn, hotel, motel, or other establishment which provides lodging to transient guests, other than an establishment located within a building which contains not more than five rooms for rent or hire and which is actually occupied by the proprietor of such establishment as his residence; https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/2000a https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/2000a Feel free to read up on Green Books -- Up until the 1960's, black Americans had to plan their trips out far in advance to avoid service refusals, discrimination, or outright violence at hotels throughout the country.
    - djschnei 10y ago
      Hmmm, I made no statement about current laws. I stated my beliefs on natural rights. To concede the general power of government to redress private discrimination through legislation would be to concede virtually unlimited power to the government. Humans, as independent actors, have other means to fight bigotry than infringing on one of a person's most sacred rights. You can't legislate morality.

jdavis703 10y ago

There used to be an era in America where hotels could legally discriminate, making travel for minorities extremely difficult. This is not a matter of feeling offended, but a matter of having equal access to resources.

Cshelton 10y ago
Private residences do not equal Hotels. If I don't want to be friends with minorities, I can choose not to be. If I do not want minorities staying in my private residence, I can refuse them staying there. Off topic...at what point do we stop calling them "minorities" when they are the majority in many regions??
- JonFish85 10y ago
  Thing is, it stopped being a "private residence" when it became a business of hospitality. Despite what Airbnb will claim, Airbnb's clients are absolutely operating as a hotel and should be governed as such (which has the nasty side effect of probably killing the business). The second they start having to obey zoning regulations, building codes, taxation & insurance the way hotels do, their valuation drops precipitously.
- gohrt 10y ago
  That's an argument you can make (except for the part about calling your publicly advertised commercial hotel a "private residence"), but I hope you don't also say "racism is past in America, everyone had equal opportunity now", because that would be logically inconsistent.
- jdavis703 10y ago
  So Airbnb wants to disrupt hotels. Assuming they successfully disrupt them, does that mean that non-white, non-heterosexual, non-cisgender groups will no longer be afforded the same guarantees that other private businesses must abide by?
  - brerlapn 10y ago

qstyk 10y ago

Totally agree. AirBnB couldn't wait for the opportunity to roll over, show their soft belly, and urinate all over themselves, instead of actually recognizing the false dichotomy.

jonwachob91 10y ago

Yup. Because these black rappers where probably the first AirBnB guest to stay at that house...

ercmilla 10y ago
Who knows - if the neighbors knew it was an AirBnB home then why would they get so worried? There are lots of explanations for their actions that are completely reasonable. But when there is otherwise no evidence of racism, let's shout racism as loud as we can because the "movement" is more important than the facts.