Airbnb forces me to sign a pledge, will it now honor its own standards and stop its operations in...

Ramon13
Level 1
Paderborn, Germany

Airbnb forces me to sign a pledge, will it now honor its own standards and stop its operations in...

countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, where operating necessarily involves accepting that homosexuals and persons of othe religions are persecuted and hanged?

I mean I am perfectly fine with not being racist and sexist etc. but do not really need a booking platform to force me to pledge it.

And if so, I think the question is allowed, whether that platform does also follow the same moral standards it forces upon its members.

I have not yet heard any announcement from airbnb about not operating anymore in countries where their moral standards will necessarily be compromised... 

Your opinions are welcome on this matter!!!!

9 Replies 9
Christian65
Level 10
Copenhagen, Denmark

ABB must abide by local laws and rules and regardless of any new or current policy or commitment a country's laws will be respected by Airbnb if they chose to do business there.

 

If you chose to do your business with ABB either as a host or guest you must comply with the company's terms and conditions. Just like you accept the terms with any other online purchase.

 

Accepting ABB's terms won't exclude them from abiding to countries' local laws. Nobody's forcing anybody and you are free to take you business elsewhere @Ramon13

 

And just to clarify moral standards and a country's laws and regulations are two very different things. But if you think that ABB is morally abliged not do business in Iran because they persecute homosexuals you are certainly entitled to have that opinion and simply find other rentals.

 

bonjour @Ramon13

 

Any Airbnb users have to accept the new rules to use the platform as a host or traveller.

If an homosexual prospect has all his requests denied because the iranian or Saoudian host does not want to host a gay, he is invited to sue him in a local court where the iranian/saoudian law shall be applied
Ah, ah, ah!

@Nathalie-Et-Gilles0 

You said it joking, but you said something true, or that should be true.

 

Besides,
I have 2 full pages of things to say about that, but I'm not going to.

It should go without saying and it's the most basic common sense that "at my house, I can host or refuse to host whomever" for whatever reason or for no reason at all.
Suppose a PRIVATE HOST, doesn't want to host gay men at his/her house (not a B&B, not a hotel, just a private home) especially if he/she actually LIVES at the house advertised in the listing....
how do they go about doing that while at the same time complying with airbnb?

Tnx

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

@Gen11 The simple answer is if you want to discriminate then don't host through Airbnb. The platform makes it crystal clear that is against discrimination on the basis of race, sexuality, religion etc

 

It is common sense that you cannot comply with Airbnb if you choose to discriminate, so you are best using platforms where they are happy for hosts to discriminate on the grounds of someone's sexuality.

 

As you aren't a host @Gen11 - is there a reason why you raised this as an issue?

 

 

Louise231
Level 10
Manchester, United Kingdom

@Gen11I don't really see what LIVING in the same house as the listing makes a difference about whether you want to host 'Gay men' as you put it.

 

Honestly 'Gay men' or women, or trans, or anyone who is human still has to sleep, and i have a room that's set up for the perpose.

 

Couples have sex in airbnb listing....and? straight couples, gay couples, shock -unmarried couples, and yet, seriously whats the difference?

 

Whats wrong with airbnb enforcing people against discriminating for entirely arbitary reasons.

 

I care about keeping people away who want to damage, steal or hurt me, not people who just want to sleep in peace.

@Gen11  If one is listing on a public platform, then it is considered that you are running a business, you are not a "Private Host".

A person can legally refuse entry to their home to anyone they choose to, according to whatever racist, homophobic, sexist, religious, or any other socially repugnant views they hold.

But not if you're listing as a host on a public platform.

Scott95
Level 2
Wormerveer, Netherlands

My first thought is, do you really think there are many gay men who go to those places for a vacation, and if they do, do you they they are open about their sexuality and tell their hosts that they are gay?  Your question does not make sense to me.
Are you suggesting the the hosts are asking their guests if they are gay, and that Airbnb requires them to risk their lives?
I think your post needs to be a little more nuanced.
I do hear what you are trying to say, but I can't help but think that you are really saying is "I don't want to do this.."  And that's fine.  Don't do it.  But just dont do it with this company.  Find another one.  It is really that simple.
I don't think your approach is logical.
I think the better question is, if there is a civil rights issue and we have abosolutly no recourse to fixing it, do we need to die for it?
On the other hand, if there is a law that protects those who are vulnerable to discrimination, do we need to do what we can to insure  equality, or can we get away with not protecting civil rights?
I think the common sense answer is no to the first, but probably yes to the second.

David126
Level 10
Como, CO

I understand where @Ramon13 is coming from.

 

Personally I look at AirBnB as a booking platform and all this Community etc stuff as just fluff to differentiate themselves and a marketing tool.

 

There are definitely illogicalities in setting supposed moral standards but then saying where it is too hard or will lose us money just ignore it.

 

Obviously not an uncommon situation where Companies and Governments say one thing but do another.

 

 

David
Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

I think a lot of responders here misunderstood @Ramon13's post. What I read is that he is simply pointing out the hypocrisy in the company having listings in countries that not only discriminate, but actually put people to death for their sexual orientation. He did say he's fine with not being racist or sexist, just is offended that airbnb makes him sign a pledge that he won't be, when they have no scruples about having listings in countries that are.

@Ramon13, that's not the only thing the platform is hypocritical about.