We excitedly covered MSNBC’s decision last week to ban White House Spokesperson and Donald Trump sock puppet Kellyanne Conway from their show. It marked what we hope will be the first company of many to not endorse a White House that doesn’t value truth and equality.
As it turns out, we were right. Slowly but surely, more companies are taking a stand, some more overtly than others.
Airbnb
I learned of Airbnb’s new policy not through the news, but just by being a regular user. The last time I logged in to lust over far off properties, I was greeted with the following message:
Whether it’s you’re first time using Airbnb, or you’re one of our original travellers, please commit to respecting and including everyone in the Airbnb community.
It was followed by an agreement stating:
I agree to treat everyone in the Airbnb community – regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age – with respect, and without judgement or bias.
I was then given the option to accept of decline.
I’m not sure what happens to those that decline. Maybe Airbnb blocks their use or disinvites them, or they simply rely on their own status as an inclusive company to put off anyone opposed. Either way, every single Airbnb screen I’d opened before logging in had the message displayed. I ended up accepting 9 times.
Sure, it’s not specifically anti-Trump, but it’s anti-hate and pro-equality. It also just happens to have come at a pivotal point for all three. Airbnb is rising across the world, and is very much hoping to conquer America from the coastline in.
Expecting all users to accept an equality and respect agreement in the new Trump era is a huge statement. One we’re more than willing to accept.
Illamasqua
Illamasqua was born from a dislike of celebrity brand culture, animal testing and basically all things bad. The make up brand has long been an advocate for equality. It’s a long time sponsor of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, which fights discrimination and intolerance. The charity was set up in the name of a 20 year old woman beaten to death for dressing differently.
Illamasqua doesn’t just support alternative looks in theory but practice. You’ll find all kinds of colours and creations in their stores and make up schools (their black and green lipsticks are amazing). They like to think of make up as an expression of self and art, and do well at proving it.
However, Illamasqua didn’t feel like their stance was enough and this week their founder Julian Kynaston wrote and uploaded The Illamasqua Anti-Fascism Pledge. This one pulls no punches. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s bright and we’d like to say bravo, Mr Kynaston.
You can read the basic version on their website here, but the original announcement on Facebook was far more in depth. It stated that they felt “compelled to take a new stand. We have been horrified by President Trump’s actions to date… As such we have decided that we will never knowingly sell our products to people who support President Trump’s values.”
They have asked their customers to take a pledge. They will accept responsibility to challenge social and climate issues, speak up for those who can’t, stamp out intolerance and never discriminate. Illamasqua want the pledge to discourage those they’re trying to avoid as customers.
Kynaston went on to state “the USA is our second largest market and it’s likely that this action will upset some people and, in turn, lose, use sales, but sometimes principles have a price.”
The post Airbnb and Illamasqua: The Trump Boycotts Keep Coming appeared first on Felix Magazine.
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