Airbnb Investigates Dallas Host Who Refused to Rent to Gay Couple
Airbnb has temporarily suspended a host from its platform following a questionable message allegedly sent to Curtis Kimberlin, Jr. Curtis and his partner Jonathan had planned to visit Dallas for a weekend wedding, so they searched for a room on Airbnb.
“My partner and I will be flying into town for a weekend wedding and we’re really excited! It’ll be my first time in Texas and my partner is from Dallas, so he’ll be showing me around,” said Jonathan. Curtis posted a screenshot of Jonathan’s Airbnb conversation with the host on Twitter. According to the tweet, the host responded, “So I’ll be hosting two men sleeping together… right?” And before Jonathan could cancel the booking, the host denied the reservation.
It’s a microaggression that we, as LGBTQ+ people, have probably experienced more times than we care to admit, but after finding out about the situation, Airbnb said it was investigating the host for violating its nondiscrimination policy. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, according to the travel website Travel Noire.
The company said in a statement: “We enforce a strict nondiscrimination policy, and when a potential violation is brought to our attention, we investigate and take action, up to removal from our community.” Just last month, Airbnb released a six-year update on their work to fight discrimination and make the company more inclusive.
In a TV interview with the local NBC affiliate in Dallas, Curtis mentioned that Airbnb did reach out, but he described their response as “corporate,” saying they’d “look into this,” without any follow-up.
In response to his tweet, Hilton and another Airbnb host reached out to offer their support. Hilton tweeted, “Curtis – if you and your partner still need help with a stay, we got you.” The couple accepted the free accommodations at Hilton.
Despite this unfortunate situation, the couple says they’ll make a return visit to Dallas, Curtis’s hometown.
