Airbnb fights homophobia and transphobia with new policy

HOLIDAY rental company Airbnb has announced a “stronger, more detailed non-discrimination policy” that requires both hosts and guests to treat everyone with respect and without judgment or bias.

The policy requires both hosts and guests to agree to “treat everyone in the Airbnb community— regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age—with respect, and without judgment or bias.”

Starting from November 1, users will be asked to agree to the commitment upon logging in; if they choose to decline, they will not be able to host or book with Airbnb, and will have the option to close their account. Airbnb’s blog states that if “in the future you accept the commitment to inclusion, you’re welcome to come back.”

The new non-discrimination policy is the result of a review conducted earlier this year that looked into how the platform could do more to fight discrimination among its users.

Airbnb faced backlash earlier this year after Danger & Eggs showrunner Shadi Petosky posted a message from a potential Airbnb host. The message explained that they would not be able to host her because of their 13 year old son potentially feeling discomfited by Shadi’s transgender identity.

A month before Shadi’s tweet, #AirbnbWhileBlack hashtag had highlighted the discrimination faced by black users of the platform, which sparked a wider conversation about how the sharing economy enables discrimination.