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I said the latter, yes. Not the former. Read what I said again:
“there is no guarantee” is not at all the same thing as “unlikely”. Saying they are unlikely to trash the place is not a “broad and inaccurate stereotype”. It’s a statistical estimation of a probability, based on the observation of a large sample size. I spent many years in academia.
I think this is the end of this conversation, at least from my end.
I’m all about talking about stuff, hey we have social media. But there is such a wide variety of businesses out there desperate for money I don’t think we should be trying to shut down mom and pops who cater to a specific need/area, especially on moral grounds. We live in a free country, but freedom goes out the door because they run a business? No one can force you to spend your money somewhere, and if they’re truly discriminating they’ll get discriminated out of business. Sure if it’s a company with over a certain # of employees that’s a different story, but someone doing business on their own has personal freedom too.
Would you feel the same way if the business owners discriminated against people of other ethnicities rather than people of other sexual orientations?
I would share on social media, people would get outraged and not shop there, they either change their policy or risk going out of business. I wouldn’t be happy, but I’m not being forced to shop there either. I would spend my money elsewhere. It’s different if it’s a utility, or a company with X number of employees, or a publicly traded company.
Very good! That sounds like a math professor’s answer and such a good line I might steal it. 
So what is the meaning of “We refuse the right to serve anyone.” Thinking of someone going to a bar and being disorderly and being refused another drink. Will the establishment then be accused of being discriminatory toward drunks?
Ellen,
We all have stereotypes whether some of us verbalize them or not. In another thread you mentioned that if this host forum is a sampling of the majority of the hosts…then discrimination is rampant. Aren’t you doing the same by making that statement?
I disagree…because so many on this board accept all kinds of cultures. It is only until they begin to notice a pattern of abuse is when that person begins to not want to put their business in jeopardy.
It is called risk assessment…it doesn’t necessarily mean someone is racist, etc. If I find that every time I rent to a white American the person lies about smoking…agrees to not smoke, but still does it anyway. I guess you think I should continue to rent to this type over and over again. All the while I have to cancel bookings afterwards. Then evenutally my business would be shut down. But hey…I didn’t discriminate. It’s so silly!
Historically, letting the community take care of ridding itself of discrimination hasn’t worked. That’s why anti discrimination laws were enacted. Most small businesses would be allowed to discriminate by your logic, therefore people who are targets of discrimination would be able to have utilities, but wouldn’t be able to rent, eat at restaurants that weren’t chains, etc. By the way, Airbnb is a large employer so by your logic Airbnb hosts shouldn’t be allowed to discriminate.
Discrimination is based on ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, etc. not on behavior. Businesses are allowed to refuse service based on behavior, not on the customer being part of a protected class.
AirBnB isn’t an employer, it’s a forum with individuals offering a service, similar to craigslist but more specific. Especially in this case, it’s people welcoming strangers into their homes. I shouldn’t be forced to have someone that makes me uncomfortable in my home, and a guest shouldn’t be compelled to stay in someone’s home that would make them uncomfortable. That’s why there is a rating’s system.
And in this case, an easy way to protect against behavior would be to just allow singletons, etc if it’s in your own house. Since I have a separate structure I don’t care who stays as long as they’ll take care of my place. But if I had a room in my house, I would only allow single occupants.
As long as you only accept single guests of any ethnicity, ability (according to your ability to make reasonable accommodations, sexual orientation, etc. it isn’t discrimination to limit the number of guests. Airbnb is most definitely an employer.
You are coming up with your opinion of Airbnb being an employer to hosts. No where on my resume do I write down that I am an employee or independent contractor of Airbnb, Homeaway, Booking.com, Flipkey, Vacation Home Rentals, House Trip, Craigslist, Roomarama, Windmu, etc.
I am self-employed and choose those sites to advertise my rental.
I didn’t say Aribnb is an employer to hosts. I said Airbnb is a large employer.
I’m now worried about 30-something white Amercian girls who claim they are quiet professionals and then proceed to become drunk, disorderly and disrespectful. You can bet I am going to scrutinize them a lot more before booking them. If that’s discrimination then so be it.
I definitely have some groups of people I don’t want to host. Thank goodness I don’t live in Cleveland this week.
Hehee…I like that line so much I might plagiarize it. :
(And agree with you BTW.)
As to the subject at hand right now in this thread, what constitute illegal discrimination and doesn’t, and how it comes into direct conflict oftentimes with what should be personal freedoms and even common sense, good luck with that one folks. It is a tricky subject.
Sometimes a society, specially a capitalist one which its basic premise is individual competition to keep its populace motivated, tries to do too much social engineering (IMHO the US) and in the process the power of its government could rise to a tyrannical level to achieve trendy political goals of the times. And so can its corruption, which power facilitates. Some of the most brilliant political thinkers of the last 400 years in the western world (Locke, Payne, Jefferson, Burke, etc.). have warned us of this, so this thought is nothing new.
Peace 
I think that “profiling” on Airbnb is somewhat a different topic as it’s about single individuals dealing with individuals, it’s kind of a dating site, hosts and guests should be a good match, especially for people hosting in their home. It’s unlike discrimination from a corporation with customers.
I am always very open when I send a reservation request on Air that we are a gay couple. If the host is not comfortable with it, I would rather be discriminated and spend my money elsewhere than having a not-so-great travel experience. I want a host to be completely cool about hosting us, not being forced into it.
As a guest I really like that hosts on Air can approve or decline my reservation, before Air I would never have booked an accommodation outside of the ones operated by corporations (big hotel chains or vacation rental companies), because I did not want to risk rejection by a “host” once arrived on site !
^^^ You are one cool, confident person. Exactly the type of guest I welcome.