【homo eroticism in sports】

Airbnb is homo eroticism in sportswaging a battle against New York state, and it wants its hosts to join.

To that end, the room rental company held a one-day event in Manhattan for hosts, complete with powerful politicians, workshops and a healthy range of refreshments.

On the menu, acai bowls (literally) and Kool-Aid (figuratively).

---

You May Also Like

---

---

"It feels like they want us to drink the Kool-Aid," said Jenny, a longtime Brooklyn Airbnb host, who declined to give her last name. With her blue-gray hair and Frida Kahlo tank, she was unlikely to buy it.

Airbnb's event this past Saturday was billed as its first-ever "host day," filled with practical tips on how to design your home for guests, represent your neighborhood and check in guests seamlessly.

Oh, and maybe help the company fight the state government.

The New York legislature passed a bill in June that would impose hefty fines on anyone who advertises — or lists on Airbnb — a short-term rental that is technically illegal. Since any apartment rental under 30 days in a building with multiple units is illegal, the law could prove a serious threat for Airbnb, especially its 44,000 New York City listings.

"Homesharing is here to stay," former Philadelphia Mayor and Airbnb advisor Michael Nutter told the group of 150 New York metro-area hosts gathered at Civic Hall on Fifth Avenue. "You will not be defeated by those who wish to maintain the status quo."

But really, the event was a rallying cry for Airbnb's foothold in New York.

Airbnb has grown rapidly around the world in the past few years, and nowhere has it faced as much pushback as New York. Affordable housing advocates — and hotel unions — have fought the company, which they say is eating into the city's housing and disturbing New York residents.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

That hasn't done much to dampen the company's growth. It is now valued at $30 billion.

New York remains one of Airbnb's largest markets, with 44,877 listings as of August 1.

On Saturday, the Airbnb hosts who live in or own a fraction of those properties heard energizing speeches from Nutter and local business leaders before they wrote postcards to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo telling him why home-sharing matters to them.

Hosts mingled, sharing hosting tips and horror stories about guests. They attended seminars in rooms named for New York boroughs, plus Long Island and New Jersey.

Occasionally, I overheard hosts actually stating the concerns Airbnb so often says they have.

"I haven't had a raise in years," one host told another in line for the lunchtime salad bar — an exchange that couldn't have been more perfect for the company that likes to say it's an "economic life preserver" for New Yorkers.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Many Airbnb hosts are politically engaged. They know what's happening in Albany and they have opinions about it. One host from Staten Island only started listing her home in June, and she's already joined a host club in the borough and written to Cuomo on her own.

Jenny, the Brooklyn host who began listing her Prospect Park brownstone in 2010, was more skeptical.

"Airbnb is doing this," she said, gesturing to the big event, "but they're not going to pay these fines for us."

Hosts would be slapped with $1,000 fines for a first violation of the bill and $7,500 for a third. The bill in question is awaiting Cuomo's signature, and Airbnb says it will take legal action if the bill is signed into law.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

So was a day of commiseration, an almost-too-nice salad bar and fun decorations enough to rally the Airbnb lobby against New York state?

Maybe — unless Airbnb is brought down by a mole in its midst.

"I hope the bill passes," one New Jersey host said. "Then I'll get more business."

• Entertainment
• Science
• Tech
• Life
• Digital Culture
• Deals
• Games
• Shopping

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids: $139.99 at Amazon
• 'Rick and Morty' fan Christopher Lloyd wants a role on the show
• This moment in Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Who Is America?' is truly alarming for women
• 'Rick and Morty' fan Christopher Lloyd wants a role on the show
• GPU Availability and Pricing Update: April 2022
• Papa John's is removing disgraced founder from its logo
• The left explodes at media after Hillary Clinton declared presumptive nominee
• U.S. government investigating Uber for gender discrimination
• SpaceX is so close to turning its rocket headquarters into an actual city
• Here are 10 items to keep an eye out for on Amazon Prime Day

• Drake's 'Degrassi' meme appeared in a NYC Parks Department proposal for some reason
• Photos of free school meal packages in the UK spark outrage online
• LG actually plans to release rollable phone, and soon
• 'ASMR toys' at big box stores may just be fidget toys in disguise
• Sheryl Sandberg denounces Facebook's anti
• Chili's can apparently answer your healthcare questions better than any politician
• What to expect from Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021
• Dog, who has probably never seen stairs, decides a leap of faith is the best course of action
• 9 great time management apps for students
• Cadillac's passenger drone concept could be the future of transport

• AC Milan vs. Feyenoord 2025 livestream: Watch Champions League for free
• Here are 10 items to keep an eye out for on Amazon Prime Day
• The absolute best and worst ice cream truck treats
• 'Queer Eye' is moving to Missouri for its just
• Even Trump's Earth Day message was anti
• Solange repurposes her dry cleaning bags as an elegant dance uniform
• 'The Bold Type' makes me feel inadequate in every way but I love it
• Razer Blade 15 review: Inching closer to gaming laptop perfection
• The Best Sports Video Game of All Time
• Scotland's Nicola Sturgeon named one of world's most powerful women

• Wordle today: The answer and hints for January 28, 2025
• Heroic kid wore a hot dog costume during her dance studio's 'princess week'
• Check out a perfect look at Tom Hardy as disturbing 'Venom'
• 2018 MacBook Pro teardown reveals possible fix for unreliable keyboard
• How I met my partner on X/Twitter
• France's Kylian Mbappé becomes youngest in decades to score during World Cup final
• Muhammad Ali's daughter Hana shares touching family photos of her dad
• J.K. Rowling pleads with Harry Potter fans to keep 'Cursed Child' spoilers under wraps
• The Best CPU & GPU Purchases of 2017
• Entertainment and sports icons pay tribute to Muhammad Ali on social media