Hi there, I’ve really been enjoying the freedom and excitement that this platform provides. It has made me realize how privileged I am though - as a solo woman and someone who is culturally ambiguous.
I have many friends who could really use this platform (to be able to afford to take a break and explore somewhere new), but not everyone feels safe or accepted travelling. I’d like to ask this incredible platform to consider adding an LGBTIQ+ friendly tag. There’s also the label (QTBIPOC) - Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour. I would leave it to the platform’s team to consider what they would like to use.
Consider the people who aren’t visible or existing in the house sitter community. Even myself, as a somewhat westernised person, went through a personal struggle to put myself up on this platform.
Let’s strive to be more inclusive and signal to more people that they are accepted and loved. People need this more than ever right now.
Lots of love
Update: Thank you all for your heartfelt responses (seems like I’ve stirred some negativity and didn’t intend to do this). I thought it would be helpful to place on the listings so house sitters can see them. But it seems like the majority of responses here believe it’s not necessary.
Hi and Welcome @likevespa
I was saddened to read your post as I and many others on the site treat everyone equal. I don’t understand why you have said we should strive to be more inclusive. You have only just joined the Forum so would be interested to see why you have said that.
You want the THS team to consider this but the onus ultimately will be on the homeowner who would have to consider adding this tag onto their listing.
Do we need to signal? Do we need to provide labels?
I thought we now live in an age which is all inclusive especially on a site like this. Trust and acceptance are key words in the world of THS. I haven’t got a clue about anyones ethnicity or sexual orientation unless they bring it up themselves and I find the while ethos of this forum and the site so refreshing in its acceptance of all people and animals. It’s a question I have never asked or thought about of anyone I have sat for or spoken to here or on the main site.
Maybe I’m naive and missing some under current but if I am let me stay that way please.
Elsie
Please don’t be saddened, this is not a reflection of the platform itself (in fact your platform is amazing and I’m impressed). It’s a matter of the way our world works and what people have access to. It helps people when we signal inclusivity, this is something I’ve come across through my work with colleagues and friends.
Yes I’m new and have just joined the forum, in fact because I thought it would be a nice idea to suggest. And yes you are exactly right, the onus would be on the homeowner. There would be no pressure for anyone to select it or declare it.
But this is just a suggestion. I’m intrigued by the feedback
Hello @likevespa and welcome to the forum. I applaud you for broaching this topic, even though I don’t particularly support your request for such a tag. I would also have no objection to it. This is my personal opinion.
Just this past week I watched the Netflix David Letterman interview of Ellen Degeneres. It was similar to her book, where she starts from her early childhood years. As a white heterosexual, I cannot imagine facing such struggles. Yesterday on YouTube I watched an excerpt of the final day of her talk show (which ran 19 years), and how things have changed in her career surrounding acceptance. She mentioned that when she was originally hired, she was not allowed to say the word ‘gay’ because her show aired in the daytime. We have come a long way, thankfully.
I have noticed listings that included ‘gay friendly’, or something similar. Each time I see it, I am saddened that there is a sense that there’s a need, in today’s society. Hopefully things will continue to improve.
Personally I don’t see any need for such a label, when sitters apply I do not ask them what their orientation is, who they are dating or what they identify as, I am just concerned that they can look after our dogs and house and that the dogs will get on with them, and the dogs certainly won’t care whether they are LGBT or anything else!
Hi @likevespa - welcome to the group.
I have never been keen on labels. By singling specific sections of the community out to ‘signal’ your acceptance of their existence you quickly run the risk of alienating other sections of the community that you forget to mention.
By not using signals you are, by default, expressing your acceptance of one and all. - that has to be the best option
It would not occur to me to treat anyone differently. We like or would welcome the person to house sit regardless of how they label themselves. I would not label anyone.
I honestly dont have a problem with this.
I agree with you all that i think most of us are inclusive.
Certainly for me the personality of the HO and feeling of whether we gel is the main importance not their orientation, colour or anything else.
But I dont walk in their shoes either, so who am i to say.
No. Not even close. I have friends who experience gay bashing regularly. I have friends who experience overt and covert racism regularly. I have friends who are harassed about their religion regularly. It would ge great if we lived in an age where all is inclusive, but all you have to do is look at the news to see that we are not even close.
I don’t label people and treat everyone the same, in the way I like to be treated. My beautiful 26 year old autistic daughter had some wise words when she was about 13 “it doesn’t matter what colour a person’s skin is or what their sexual orientation is, anyone can be a dxxxhead”. Blunt but so true!
I don’t usually listen or read the news. No. That’s wrong. I try to listen to or read both sides of the story. I’m finding the news (and other things) is becoming a version of the truth the writer believes and not just hard facts which I do not like.
I do not dispute your friends are experiencing these things. But in my humble opinion the way forward is for more and more of us to “normalise”, wrong word but I can’t think of another at the moment, and stop pointing out the differences.
Respectfully, that’s something that’s easy to say when you don’t belong to a minority group that is regularly and historically mistreated. It’s very much akin to white people who say that racism isn’t a thing any more when every BIPOC person you ask will be able to give you countless stories of racism they face on a daily basis.
ETA: I’d also like to remind folks that this is an international site. Just because you might think things are safe in your particular area doesn’t mean they’re safe everywhere. Just because something doesn’t apply to you, doesn’t mean others don’t need it.
When a discussion goes off topic or results in personal exchanges between members we will close the topic. This action is not motivated by any form of censorship and not something we do lightly but is done in the interests of all members and in maintaining a kind, friendly and non judgmental narrative across the platform.
Disagreements and differences of opinions are inevitable however when this happens please keep your comments and replies kind and respectful.
If any member wishes to get into deeper one to one discussions the Direct Message option is available.
Thank you everyone.
Update: Keeping conversations on topic and positive will help a conversation develop by encouraging more contributors as members will feel comfortable and motivated to join. When a thread takes the opposite path members will be reluctant to become involved which is everyone’s loss.
