Craiglist attracts all kinds, so it's only reasonable that, when posting an ad for a new roommate, you seek to preempt any potential misery. See: "Sorry, no pets," or "Must be stably employed." But one Brooklyn pair is so nervous about their future roommate that they're stipulating not just their pet-owning and job-holding status, or even their gender—they're dictating their sexuality.
In addition to a lengthy list of personality requirements ("Positive, conversational, involved with your passions") and stuff-owning requirements ("We'd love a new couch to replace the beige one, and possibly a new coffee table") the list goes on to ask that the person not be into women, please. Like, never. Are you a gay man who once had sex with a woman, just to see what it was like? Well then don't even fucking think about it.
The line has since been removed from the ad, but a tipster, who saw the ad on a listserv from a women's advocacy group, preserved it with a screengrab. (Stellar Photoshop highlighting, ours):
The post, which was sent to subscribers of the Women's Information Network, was immediately blasted by recipients.
"Am I reading this correctly? No lesbians allowed?" wrote one. "Not only would that be abhorrent and offensive, but NYS prohibits housing discrimination for LGBT folks."
Interestingly, no where in the 672 word description does the ad require that potential roommates not be ex-convicts or harbor a fondness for taxidermied opossums—just as long as the ex-cons, taxidermists OR their opossums are strictly into dudes. We've reached out to the Craigslist poster for comment, and will update if we hear back.
