“Straight or gay?” 9th Circuit says web site, roommates.com, can’t ask
A roommate-finding site cannot require users to disclose their sexual orientation, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday, in the latest skirmish over whether anti-discrimination rules apply to the Web.
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said Roommates.com, which obliges users to list their sexual orientation, was different than Internet sites where people can volunteer or withhold personal information.
To inquire electronically about sexual orientation would not be different from asking people in person or by telephone if they were black or Jewish before conducting business, the panel said in an 8-3 ruling that partly overturns a lower federal court decision.
The Recorder also offers this report.
Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley v. Roomates.com, LLC., No. 04-56916 (9th Cir., April 3, 2008)
One Comment
To ask any question to any person one feels like asking is none of any others business and
it should never matter if it’s on a web site or in the street. When the courts in San Francisco
decide to limit speech in regarding this particular question, it’s obvious that the truth nor
free speech is not important to these Judges. I call it the secrecy of evil men who prefer to
hide the truth. The 9th Circuit Court should be tarred and feathered and deported from the
United States. I don’t want Mr.Mc’head playing with little John John and I certainly dont want
to buy anything from men who claim to be Americans,but are the son’s of the devil.
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