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I'd like to know how many in the LGBT community have been straight out discriminated against while trying to rent or buy a home. I doubt there are many. Landlords or realty companies just don't come out and say "oh you're a fag or carpet muncher and that's why you didn't get the apartment". They're looking at your work history and past rental history, not whether you suck dick or not.
And if you can't manage to present yourself in an appropriate manner while applying for the apartment then blame yourself for not getting it. I agree with Maggot, it's a non issue. Why should anyone even know what your religion or sexual preference is? Unless of course you're carrying a fucking sign around your neck saying "look at me".
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I'm positive a fair number of presentable and financially qualified gay people, couples, and families have been discriminated against by rental landlords. Plenty of legal cases prove it. However, I would think it's less an issue today than it was even just a decade ago.
I don't know if RFRA laws really encourage more discrimination against gays or make it harder for gays to get recourse when such legitimate discrimination cases are filed though. I just know that's a concern voiced by the LGBT community and RFRA opponents.
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(03-28-2015, 05:21 PM)HairOfTheDog Wrote: I'm positive a fair number of presentable and financially qualified gay people, couples, and families have been discriminated against by rental landlords. Plenty of legal cases prove it.
I'm just guessing that a good majority of those cases were frivolous.
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(03-28-2015, 05:07 PM)sally Wrote: I'd like to know how many in the LGBT community have been straight out discriminated against while trying to rent or buy a home. I doubt there are many. Landlords or realty companies just don't come out and say "oh you're a fag or carpet muncher and that's why you didn't get the apartment". They're looking at your work history and past rental history, not whether you suck dick or not.
I'm quite certain they don't just come out and say it (unless they're REALLY stupid and looking for a lawsuit) but I'm sure it occurs. As I said, if this law somehow made it perfectly acceptable for a landlord to say "I don't rent to fags or carpet munchers" with impunity, I would see that as problematic (if I were a fag or carpet muncher).
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(03-28-2015, 05:47 PM)sally Wrote: (03-28-2015, 05:21 PM)HairOfTheDog Wrote: I'm positive a fair number of presentable and financially qualified gay people, couples, and families have been discriminated against by rental landlords. Plenty of legal cases prove it.
I'm just guessing that a good majority of those cases were frivolous.
Maybe. I know a percentage of all civil cases filed are frivolous -- I don't know if that's the majority or the exception though.
I do know there are plenty of bigoted landlords who discriminate against Muslims, blacks, gays, etc... Some of them admit it and others fail when they try to lie about it.
Anyway, the department of Housing and Urban Development did a study to determine the extent of landlord discrimination against gays specifically. I think the results are interesting. HUD Gay Discrimination Research Report: http://www.huduser.org/portal/Publicatio...umm_v2.pdf
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Well that was my point, you can't prove someone is discriminating against you unless they come out and say it. Just because someone tells you "I'm sorry I gave the apartment or job to someone else" doesn't mean you can sue them just because you happen to be a bull dyke.
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Huh. Gays get less favorably treated in states that have legislation supposedly protecting them from discrimination in housing? That's interesting. Maybe the laws themselves scare some owners away from renting to gay individuals for fear that any future acts (a need to evict or something) might put them MORE at risk for a discrimination lawsuit.
Just goes to show how useless some of our laws are.
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Yeah, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation really does exist, sally. And, yeah, it can be and is sometimes proven even if the landlord denies it.
Lesbian Lisa puts in her rental application. She talks to Landlord Dick and he says everything looks great and he's gonna verify her income, call her references, and do a credit check. All of her info checks out and he tells her to come on in and sign the lease agreement. She goes to sign the papers and takes her girlfriend along to check out the unit. Suddenly, Dick says that the apartment was already rented out by his wife and she forgot to tell him; sorry. Or, there's major water damage and he just discovered it. Or, some other bullshit excuse.
Lisa has a male friend call and say that he and his wife are interested in renting the unit. Dick tells him to come on by; that he's looking to fill the vacancy as soon as possible.
^ That's one of many ways that lawyers and prospective tenants succeed in proving discrimination by landlords.
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I know that reputable realty companies that enjoy their profits aren't going to discriminate against eligible gays. Money trumps discrimination whether the law is in place or not. I guess maybe if you want to rent from some slum lord over in WV you might run into problems.
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(03-28-2015, 06:17 PM)username Wrote: Huh. Gays get less favorably treated in states that have legislation supposedly protecting them from discrimination in housing? That's interesting. Maybe the laws themselves scare some owners away from renting to gay individuals for fear that any future acts (a need to evict or something) might put them MORE at risk for a discrimination lawsuit.
Just goes to show how useless some of our laws are.
I thought that part was interesting too.
People, including business people, are gonna discriminate. Some admit it, some try to cloak it, some don't even know it.
I don't personally think RARF makes a big difference in how such people conduct business.
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(03-28-2015, 06:22 PM)sally Wrote: I know that reputable realty companies that enjoy their profits aren't going to discriminate against eligible gays. Money trumps discrimination whether the law is in place or not. I guess maybe if you want to rent from some slum lord over in WV you might run into problems.
Say it's a nice area and a competitive rental market.
The realtor is homophobic or disagrees with gay marriage, but he's got a good reputation and is all about the profit.
He has three couples applying to rent a vacant unit. The first couple to apply checks out great and has the highest income and the best credit; no criminal records; no pets; both work most of the time... That's the gay middle aged dude and his life partner. They applied first.
Realtor Bob decides to rent the apartment to couple #2, Joe and Susan, instead.
You really think things like that barely ever happen or never happen, sally?
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I never said it didn't happen HotD. I know it happens and there are always hardcore freaks that want to defend their beliefs no matter what, but they're the minority. Everyone else just wants to make money.
And it really doesn't matter unless there is solid proof that there was discrimination. Maybe Bob the realtor just thought the gay couple acted like freaks and couldn't take them seriously as they were holding hands and acting like flamboyant morons.
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(03-28-2015, 07:34 PM)sally Wrote: I never said it didn't happen HotD. I know it happens and there are always hardcore freaks that want to defend their beliefs no matter what, but they're the minority. Everyone else just wants to make money.
And it really doesn't matter unless there is solid proof that there was discrimination. Maybe Bob the realtor just thought the gay couple acted like freaks and couldn't take them seriously as they were holding hands and acting like flamboyant morons.
Exactly.
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But there is no proof that it was his thoughts. So what, now this law will allow every Tom, Dick and Harry to say whatever they think without any fear of law suits? I don't think that's the way it will work.
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You cannot legislate feelings. You can only hope for the best through legislation. Tolerance is the key no matter how you feel about any given matter people will always have free will and do what they want.
He ain't heavy, he's my brother.
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What they studied was online rental inquiries and how less likely gay couples were to even get an email response as opposed to heterosexual. Who doesn't do almost everything online these days? So, right from the git go/inquiry, ur less likely to get the rental. Flamboyant or not.
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Why should you have to put down your sexual preference on an online rental application? That study doesn't make any sense, I've never been asked my sexual preference on any application. The closest is on medical charts where they ask your marital status. Which you answer M or S.
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I haven't tried to fill one out but if they ask who is renting if "Chip and Harry" are applying, both sounding male (for example), you might assume they're gay or really kind of weird if they have a frat type roomie arrangement at age 30 or something. Even if their financials are sound. Fuck if I know. I just read some of the stupid study.
Heh. I once rented a house with a dyke named Sally for awhile though. Srsly. But she was the primary renter; I just rented a room in the house with her for awhile.
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Well if sally can get a room anyone can.
I don't think people are discriminated against as much as they claim to be. I could do some nasty bi-sexual, lesbian, midget transexual shit tonight and I guarantee you I'll find a job and apartment tomorrow if I needed to.
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I have had the typical "renters from hell" and am now leasing my Colorado house to a very nice person, but i could tell you a lot of horror stories about these people...e.g., the guy who was collecting disability for his alcoholism, so when he got his monthly check, he would buy booze and not pay his rent. Since I rented to him under Section 8 or some law (i don't really remember), I called the disability office to complain, and they said they had no control over what their "clients" did with their monthly checks. Think I have posted that before. I never even thought about renting to gays as opposed to straights, and don't care what people do in their bedrooms, just so they don't destroy my house. The main things I (and hopefully Mgt Co) wanted checked, was their financial resources/credit history and whether they had any criminal record. My mother was very prejudiced and had rentals, too.( She passed in 2002) She would tell Black families, the unit was rented when it was not. It was a military town so there was a very diverse population. I told her she could get in trouble, but she kept doing it. Was surprised I never had to visit her in jail.....  My point is that character is more important than anything in choosing who you want to live in your rental IMHO. OMG, I hope lawsuits can't be retroactive and pass to her daughter.....
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