Pride-goer rejected by Airbnb lister because he is gay
A man has said he was rejected by a room owner on Airbnb because he is gay.
Buddy Fisher, from Houston, Texas, said he booked a room in Austin, but received a response rejecting his booking.
He said he was shocked when he received the message in response to a message in which he said he was attending Pride.
“It asked me when I started the process why I was coming to Austin, and I told them I was going to Austin for the pride festival,” he told KHOU.
He said after booking he was later told that, despite having been charged, his reservation was not successful.
“It charged me the appropriate amount. Then about an hour later, I get a notice from Airbnb that the reservation was cancelled,” Fisher said.
The owner of the room responded to the reservation with the message: “No LGBT people, please. I do not support people who are against humanity. Sorry.”
Fisher said he was “really upset” by the response, and that Airbnb’s apology didn’t justify the discrimination.
“It felt like we’ve been going in the right direction, but then something like this happens,” he said. “It’s like you take five steps forward then two steps back.”
Fisher says he will still attend Pride, and that Airbnb was helping him directly with finding appropriate accommodation.
The lister of the original room booked by Fisher has been removed, and he has been blocked from listing properties, the company has said.
