Political Activism

[Billy250]

Because I do not know how to email AIR BnB management, I am posting this message on the Community Center hoping management will see it.

STOP THE POLITICAL ACTIVISM!  I am but one of the thousands of hosts that Airbnb has and if I withdrew my property, no one within AirBnB would notice.  Nonetheless, please know that if Airbnb continues its political activism, I will do just that!  

It makes no difference whether AirBnB leans left or right.  And I really do not care!  Most guests do not decide where which vacation house to rent based on politics and I do not "cull" guests based on politics, either. 

Continue to run Airbnb as the top-notch organization it has been and  STAY OUT OF POLITICS!    

[Helen744]

Billy250  I have no idea who this person is or why she was banned ,but people are banned from Airbnb and pubs etcetera all the time , they just do not have a public platform . In Australia our government will occaisionally ban persons for various reasons  ,from entering the country, but why this lady is banned or her parents, or was banned is not clear.Extreme views is not a reason to ban someone from a platform ,I personally have the right to say 'will not host again'. People are banned from stuff for poor behaviour all the time. And their close associates strangely enough because one person can book for up to ten people.Does the lady personally discriminate expilictly against others? Is that the reason? or promulgate 'hate speech'? I can see this as a reason to ban according to Airbnbs very strict anti discrimination policy   ..... H

[Byron143]

I'm sorry and surprised to see that airbnb has gotten political...  I had no idea that this company would join in with excluding people who were felt to be on the wrong side of the political spectrum. Conservatives specifically. I saw what was done to Lauren Southern and her family because of some kind of outside pressures, but there are a number of your customers who find this type of action objectionable. To put her and her family on an "do not allow" list is actually disgusting. I was at a meeting today with some of my neighbors and we came upon this subject. I had no idea about the situation, but we came away very disappointed with this improper exclusion based simply on her conservative views. She did nothing wrong! Maybe you don't realize this, but many, if not most of your customers are "regular", common type of people who believe in freedom to express their views without being sensored. Unfortunately, many of us came away from our discussion with vry bad feelings about this exclusionary action and what it says about airbnb as a moral and moral type of enterprise. Two people said that they are going to remove their listings because of this. I myself will be looking for other means of obtaining vacation rentals. Apparently you have no idea about the real world around you, but this is totally disgusting to many of us "commoners". As time goes on, We feel that your company will suffer from this type of behavior. We are mostly the silent ones, but we are the silent majority who actually have the means and the money to utilize your services. Until you stop this type of action (and you really should apologize), we will be hesitant to support your business any longer. There are alternatives, and we will work with them in the future. Our money dictates your future, and at this point, it's not looking very good...

[Helen744]

Byron143 we are hosts here and do not know ,nor are we in a position to remark or form an opinion about this 'situation' Maybe make a direct comment to Airbnb proper......

[Helen3]

Interestingly there seems a concerted effort by those who share Laura's ultra right wing views, who are neither guests or hosts, to join this forum purely to complain @Byron143  that Airbnb banned this ultra right commentator from their platform who has been banned from the UK because she advocates violence. They have already admitted they banned the parents in error and their access has already been restored.

Maybe you see nothing wrong about discriminating against people on the basis of the colour of their skin, their race or religion and see Lauren's espousing of discrimination and race and religious hatred as  'doing nothing wrong' but most decent people would not agree.

Hosts sign up to not discriminating against guests based on race/religion etc. If two hosts you know no longer want to use Airbnb because they prefer to discriminate then that can only be a good thing.

[Helen744]

Maybe a moderator like say @Quincy could make a comment as to any validity in Billys claim or explain that we are hosts and not Airbnb proper Helen3... H

[Helen3]

Airbnb have already responded publicly on this @Helen744  they have banned a far right agitator from using the platform as she advocates racial and religious hatred.

They also banned her parents but have admitted their error, apologised and reinstated their profiles.

As you know Airbnb is well known for its human rights record and its support for programmes that help more marginalised communities. If you believe in discrimination and racial and religious hatred then you are likely to think there is some validity to @Billy250 's claims. 

[Helen744]

Helen3the validity of someones right to comment is of course separate to the so called 'truth ' of the original press release , which to me does not carry any validity as to 'accurate reporting, but is simply a way to 'incite hatred against Airbnb ,either to promote the posters political agenda or for unknown reasons. Point being it has nothing to do with this forum ,but is set here for the same reasons , i.e. to inflame hatred. Australia has strong laws in this area and as far as I know we do not harbour this particular viper , we do not accept into our country people who will 'incite hatred ' ,....all the best but I will not be arguing about this person or giving them any validity for their inflammatory beliefs or rambling incoherent philosophy..... H

[Helen744]

I can see that you are a passionate person about social issues as you have also commented on the other post ,which seems to be concerning this 'so called issue ' also but in such areas the truth becomes lost and 'opinions on opinions' invalidate fundamental truth , I will no longer give this 'non issue ' oxygen .... H

[Helen3]

What a strange post @Billy250  Airbnb has a clear commitment to human rights and social values. This is nothing new.

If you are not comfortable with their values, then don't use their platform just as I don't use Amazon because some of their questionable affiliations with countries with human rights abuses.

And absolutely both customers and sellers will factor in whether they are comfortable with a companies values when using their services.

[Linda3861]

I just found out that you don't like to rent to conservatives well I'm one I've been using Airbnb for a while I just want you to know I'll no longer use your services sincerely Linda Anderson

[Helen744]

Linda3861 this is not Airbnb but a hosts forum ,we do not have anything to do with Airbnb policy but reserve the right to 'not host persons ,any person , a second time , based on their behaviour and certain rules we have in our homes. We never ask anyone their politics before they book or ever will .. H

[Elaine701]

Tribalism is the bane of modern politics. To [unwittingly?] acquiesce to it risks losing one's objectivity and ability to think for oneself. 

In other words, tribalism makes it easy: whatever one finds objectionable can always be blamed on "the other tribe", even if the tribe one subscribes to is actually the guilty party. 

Tribalism is the most powerful tool of modern politics. Everything is always "their fault", no matter which tribe is saying it. Even if it's completely imaginary.
Sound familiar?

Morale of the story: Be careful what you know "for sure". 

[Dave52]

@Elaine701  Great post.  In the US we call our tribes the "two parties". 

One party can always blame the other, and still work together to keep out any new parties.

[Byron143]

It's interesting how certain labels are thrown around so quickly and freely, with absolutely no knowledge of whether they have any basis in reality.  The "Helens" (moderators, I suppose) use terms like: "ultra right"; "violence advocators"; "racist"; "race and religeous haters".  On and on, ad nauseum...  Lauren Southern is none of these things - where in God's name do you come up with your "reality". It amazes me..!  I certainly am not any of those dark and terrible people as you so freely condemn.  I didn't throw any labels at anyone in my previous reply.  To pigeonhole someone like one of you has done, is shortsighted, actually disgusting. It seems like anyone who doesn't meet your perception of "decent", based on no actual facts at all, you are able to quickly and mindlessly label as these horrible things.  I'm a Christian (though I didn't mention it before, because it really shouldn't  need to be advertised or waved about) who believes in God, who has five children - all successfully launched.  I'm not a rascist in any sense of the word. I strongly disagree with racism and bigotry, and I'm just one of the mostly silent people who work for a living, try to live morally, listen and allow other opinions, even if we disagree.  In general, we are the ones who have real jobs and lives, honestly earn and then spend the majority of our money on products and services that do not espouse political activism, or the type of hatred that you outline.  Know that "regular" people  are finally getting sick and tired of listening to this type of twisted ideology, from a small number of very loud political activists. We vote with our money, not with just screaming from our "pulpits".  The words "go woke, and go broke" is finally starting to gain momentum.  We have been patient with the screaming and the tantrums for long enough, and we will show our presence more and more as time goes on.  Airbnb, take note - you are starting to lose real customers because of your "woke" political and social agendas, and we are spreading the word...