A group of New Zealand roommates seeking a fourth have released a detailed list of requirements applicants must adhere to if they want the privilege of living with them.
“We don’t want to live with a couple, a heterosexual person, or someone who is loud at night, or drinks/does drugs/party[s] a lot,” the ad, which was published on the website Trade Me and then posted last week to Reddit, reads.
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It continues: “We want to live with someone who is relaxed, motivated, grown up, reliable, considerate, child friendly, LGBTQIA+, vegetarian or vegan.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
(We can’t help but note the irony of the word “relaxed” in this situation.)
The roomies go on to say they are “feminist/politically switched on adults” and that they also did not want to live with anyone who is “racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, fatphobic [sic], hates sex workers, hates migrants or is otherwise a jerk.”
(Sounds like a fun, carefree bunch, doesn’t it? Who wouldn’t want to hang out with them every day?)
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Since the ad went viral, it has received criticism for being discriminatory against straight people.
“I can’t help but to think about is this sort of segregation,” on Reddit user noted. “The rejection of heterosexual people leads to this ‘Us vs Them’ mentality.”
“Would it be just as effective if it said ‘no homosexuals’ instead?” another person questioned.
“One does not fight discrimination with discrimination,” a third person wrote. “It’s senseless, and cannot be reasonably justified. If people want acceptance, tolerance, and harmony among people, it mightn’t hurt to be the ones to first start showing it.”
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Others have simply noted that the strict criteria might make it difficult for them to find anyone, LGBTQIA or +, to live with them at all.
“Honestly, the weirdest thing in the ad is that they are specifically asking for a person with literally no opinion on anything,” one Reddit user noted. “It basically says if there is anything in this world you dislike, don’t apply.”
“The flatmate must love everyone and everything,” another person wrote. “That means they cannot have any personal opinions. Literally.”
“Wouldn’t it have been more efficient to put an up an ad asking for a rabbit?” a third person said.
After receiving backlash, the roommates updated the ad to say:
We live in a society in which transgender people face high levels of housing discrimination. An extremely high number of transgender people are homeless, in unstable or unsuitable housing, and regularly face housing discrimination. We are routinely turned away from flats for being trans.
Heterosexual cisgender people do not need anti-discrimination legislation to protect their rights, because their rights are already respected. You are not being discriminated against by us, we just don’t want to live with you. Sorry your feelings are hurt, but we don’t really care, we’re busy surviving in a society which is hostile to our existence.
Related: New Federal Study Proves It’s Harder To Rent An Apartment If You’re Gay
h/t: New Zealand Herald
Adam Van Dale
I wouldn’t wanna live with them
Liam Barnes
“No Jerks” I guess they are afraid of the competition?
RomanHans
Why the hate, Qu33rty? They’re not being unreasonable. If j3rk migrant-hating r@cists didn’t exist, Donald Trump wouldn’t be at the top of the polls.
(One of the words triggers moderation for reasons only Qu33rty knows.)
Richard Holaday
I never trust anyone who doesn’t eat meat ð??ð??ð??ð???
Amaurys Arias
They sound like a-holes
Glücklich
Ohhh…buncha irritating SJW professional victims, four to a house? Undoubtedly scraaaaping the sofa cushions – oh excuse me beanbags and floor pillows – to pay gas and electric every month. Where do I apply?!
@Richard Holaday:
I never trust anyone who uses uses the “cis-” prefix.
DCguy
I think it’s funny that they are asking for Vegans and then say “No Jerks”.
Have you ever been around a holier than thou vegan?
(Yes Yes Yes, I know that there are nice ones, but you know what I’m talking about “Eye Roll”)
Jeffrey Scronce
“Sorry we hurt your feelings, but we just don’t care.” That’s literally not how that works.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
i’m a vegan [since before it was hip] and Straight-Edge-ish by disposition [no drugs or alcohol] ..but decidedly NOT a SJW type [i don’t have the fucking physical energy]…these bitches would fucking loathe me.. or write a really triggering Tumblr post about me.
and yes I DO feel superior ..sorry lol
redcarpet30
Ugh takes me back to Liberal Arts College. These kind of “I just read PoMo Queer Theory stuff and have the world all figured out now!” types are insufferable. No matter how much you try to be open minded, liberal, progressive, non-judgmental, it is NEVER good enough unless you are exactly like them. Most of the time its more about them validating their sense of vitimhood and righteous indignation. They are really quite arrogant but refuse to see it.
Xzamilio
Jesus… what are the roommates’ names? Tumblr, Buzzfeed, Huffpost, and SJW? The problem here is that I can practically smell the totalitarianism from their words. No off-color jokes around this bunch. It’d be really nice to have people who weren’t r@cist, homophobic. transphobic, fat-phobic, [insert here]-phobic, but these guys sound like assholes that only other assholes would want to hang around.
Derek Perron
What’s the problem with that. If it’s you’re placing the ad u want someone who is going to make living with them fairly easyAnd non confrontational
Neil Strangwick
F
Brian
These New Zealanders seem like a group of people with personality issues. Imagine living with them!!! I couldn’t.
If they’re transgender, it doesn’t surprise that they have issues. Many transgender people have deep-seated personality issues that go way beyond their gender-identity crisis.
Stan Schulz
He sounds perfectly reasonable. Vegans don’t want meat in their refrigerators. Gay men know what to deal with when it comes to other gay men. He’s a brother. A single straight male and a gay male are very different.
Phillip Bernal
What is the BIG deal! since when is EVERYONES feelings more important than the individual? we are becoming a nation of wimps.
Captain Obvious
Trigger warning! Veganism is my trigger. I hate everyone who hates bacon.
Glücklich
@Xzamilio:
You smell totalitarianism, I smell shade-grown fair-trade patchouli masking B.O. (and not the hot kind).
@Captain Obvious:
I feel you’ve micro-aggressioned me. Let’s go into the sweat lodge and ask Gaia to calm our energies. You grab the Talking Stick and I’ll bring some sage to burn.
DuMaurier
Well…I am gay, but I’m afraid that wouldn’t make up for everything I’m pretty sure they’d hate me for. Maybe they should get a scientist to make them a perfect Frankenstein in the lab.
southernscot
LGBTQIA+ we are soooooo close to rearranging the Alphabet, come on guys we can do it.
Ben Stimpson
They sound like capitol A millenial assholes. I wouldn’t want to live with them… but in a way, maybe when they find whoever it is they’re looking for it’ll help herd idiot types like these into the same space.
Bryguyf69
@Stan Schulz: Reasonable? Nope, they are rejecting some people based on who they are, and not what they do. Some characteristics, like sexual orientation, aren’t a choice. To automatically assume that a gay person would be less problematic than a gay-friendly heterosexual is simply wrong. For example, among the problems I’ve seen in counseling is that sexual tension and sexual rivalries sometime arise among gay roommates. There are issues no matter who you choose so it’s best to treat people as individuals, not assumptions or stereotypes.
captainburrito
I’m of the opinion that this kind of thing is good for them to announce. Rather know it beforehand than discover you it once you are committed and cannot easily get away.
Bryguyf69
Employers are increasingly using websearches and social media to vet out job applicants. If I found out that an applicant wrote that ad, his/her application would almost automatically go in the trash. I don’t want an employee or co-worker who — by default — feels victimized, or otherwise prejudge their peers or clients. Heck, if they really feel so insular, then let they start their own commune and avoid straight-owned businesses and employers.
On the other hand, these morons would be perfect for an MTV “reality” show, whose foundation is always tension and discord.
Tracy Pope
“…but we don’t really care…” This group of humans is just too precious.
Mitchell Ontiveros
That’s every housing ad in Portland.
Saskia Vreedenburgh Brink
Define jerk but actually read jerk offs
SarcasaticMisanthrope
LGBTQIA+ This alphabet soup is the beginning of the problem. And I’m a middle aged gay who wouldn’t meet their criteria since I am a big sarcastic person.
Tobi
@southernscot & @SarcasaticMisanthrope: It’s already LGBTQQIAAPF *sigh*
Bauhaus
If they don’t jerk, I can’t imagine the tension in that house.
Marky
“We don’t want to live with a couple” <— YES. YES.
Note to the youth: If you plan on moving in with your friend and you want to bring a significant other along for the ride, remember that the 50% shares have now become 33.33% shares and should be paid for accordingly. I.E. Moving in your FB shouldn't give you a 50% discount on your rent, that's str8 thinking.
Marky
Well….mostly str8 thinking….. *evil eyes directed out the doorway and around the corner*
Bryguyf69
@Marky: That all depends on whether the boyfriend gets his own room. Keep in mind that rent is about real estate. I know many roommates that have their own TV, so a vast majority of the time is spent in their own bedrooms. If you and your boyfriend spend most of the time in the same bedroom, then the rent should be split accordingly, with consideration to the common areas, i.e. kitchen, living room. So it may just be a 55-45% or 60-40% situation. not 33.33%. The utilities, however, should probably be split in 3 as long as one person doesn’t have special power needs