Hyatt hotels announces ban on hate groups following anti-Muslim conference
Hyatt will no longer rent space to hate groups, according to a new policy unveiled by the international hotel chain. In a 聽Thursday, Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian outlined the new policy, saying: 鈥淚f a group is primarily focused on disparaging a group by virtue of their identity 鈥� that鈥檚 really where we need to draw the line. We鈥檙e going to apply our values to making these decisions along the way.鈥�
The decision came after pressure Hyatt 聽from civil rights advocacy groups and consumers for hosting a conference sponsored by the anti-Muslim hate group ACT for America聽on Sept. 4-5. Despite pushback, Hyatt 聽on hosting the conference. However, the company now appears to have set a new course.
Hyatt鈥檚 newly adopted stance against hate groups bears similarities to Airbnb鈥檚 anti-discrimination policy, which 聽white nationalists from using its platform last August prior to the deadly 鈥淯nite The Right鈥� rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. That same month, a Colorado resort 聽a conference organized by the white nationalist hate site VDARE.
ACT for America hosts its conference annually in the nation鈥檚 capital and bounces around hotel chains in the Washington, D.C., area. Marriott 聽last year when it hosted ACT鈥檚 conference. In the end, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson defended the decision to host the gathering, saying, 鈥淭he theme is that we are in the hospitality business. We are serving people from all around the world, from all walks of life, with all points of views.鈥�
ACT鈥檚 conference, now in its 10th year, 聽former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director Thomas Homan as well as a smattering聽of anti-Muslim speakers.
ACT鈥檚 expansive chapter network through the country makes it the largest anti-Muslim hate group in the country. The group鈥檚 founder and president Brigitte Gabriel has warned聽that Muslims are 鈥渁 natural threat to civilized people of the world, particularly Western civilization.鈥� Gabriel and her group 聽a 鈥渕assive wave of third-world immigration has been engulfing America for half a century.鈥�
Despite this extreme rhetoric, Gabriel bragged聽during her group鈥檚 gathering in early September that ACT has a 鈥渟tanding meeting at the White House once a week.鈥� Gabriel has also established a rapport with members of Congress. Eight U.S. members of Congress spoke at the group鈥檚 conference this year, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Steve King (R-Iowa) and Scott Perry (R-Penn.).
Scott Simpson, public advocacy director for Muslim Advocates, one of the advocacy groups that put the heat on Hyatt, 聽that the hotel鈥檚 鈥渁nnouncement is a welcome one for consumers who want their hotels to be safe spaces to relax and be themselves free from hostility and discrimination.鈥� Simpson noted, 鈥淗yatt didn鈥檛 make this decision in a vacuum鈥� and said it came 鈥渁fter civil rights groups and more than 100,000 consumers spoke up鈥� and demanded 鈥渢here should be no room for hate at Hyatt.鈥�
Photo by Kaesler Media
