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WATCH: Texas B&B Boots Gay Couple, Gets Banned From Airbnb

WATCH: Texas B&B Boots Gay Couple, Gets Banned From Airbnb

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A Galveston woman can no longer list her bed and breakfast on the lodging site after telling two men they weren't welcome in her home.

Nbroverman

San Francisco-based lodging site Airbnb banned a Texas woman from listing her Galveston bed and breakfast on the site after she forced a gay couple to leave her residence in the middle of the night.

The business owner, only identified as Heather, allegedly forced two Houston men to pack up and leave her home after she discovered they were a couple, reports Houston TV station KTRK.

Jonathan Wang and his partner, identified only as Brent, were visiting Galveston for a wedding last month, but encountered an angry homeowner when they returned to the B&B after the festivities.

"Heather asked me where my wife was. 'Who is this person?'" Wang recalled to KTRK. "I said it was my significant other, Brent. She said, 'I thought you were bringing a wife.' I said I didn't say that specifically. I said, 'Is that going to be OK?' She said, 'It's not.'"

As the couple went upstairs to pack their bags, Wang says Heather again voiced her discomfort, telling the men they were staying in her bedroom.

The couple were forced to scramble find new accommodations late on a Friday night, when all the surrounding hotels were booked. Ultimately, Wang was able to call in a favor from his work as a professional airline pilot and secure the couple a room for the night.

Wang informed Airbnb of Heather's treatment, and the company reimbursed the couple for their stay at the B&B, as well as for the hotel they had to book after she evicted them. The company also swiftly banned Heather from its site.

"We have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination on Airbnb," the company said in a statement. "The host in question has been removed from the site. Airbnb has clear guidelines that a host or a guest may not promote hate or bigotry."

When KTRK contacted Heather for comment about the story, she told the station "I'm completely of my legal realms and morals."

Heather wouldn't confirm whether she bans gay people from her home, but KTRK did note a small mention on Heather's since-deactivated Airbnb profile that lists the property as "straight-friendly."

When asked if she bans gay people outright, Heather told the station, "That's none of your business. That's my private home."

Watch KTRK's report below.

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Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.
Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.