Thread by @DrSamiSchalk

While I’m on the subject of strangers being weird. Here’s a #thread on a #homophobic #microaggression I experienced, also from this @HiltonHotels hotel I’m in. It includes some thoughts on behavior for #customerservice folks.

So I am in Houston where one of my partners lives. My partner is a white non-binary femme & we had spent the day together before I checked into the hotel yesterday. The person checking us in said “Are you two together?” and I said yes.

The front desk person began checking me in and then said “Do you want a double suite?” I didn’t understand & asked them to repeat. The person said “You’re registered for a king bed, do you want a double suite instead? With two beds?”

That’s when I realized that this person was assuming that my partner & I didn’t want to sleep in the same bed. That my partner wasn’t being read as my partner. It happens to us a lot as femmes. It’s annoying & frustrating & ultimately #femme- and #queer-phobic.

Now some of yall will be like, “well how should that person know? what if you really did want a double?” Here’s the thing, there’s an easy, non-assumptive way of doing that. Say: “You are registered for a king bed, is that correct?” If I wanted doubles then I could say it then.

But don’t look at 2 femmes, 2 masculine folks, or 2 anybodies together & assume they don’t want to share a bed if they are registered to have one bed. Just confirm what they have is what they want rather than offering something you assume they want based on your reading of them.

These little moments of heterosexual assumption & queer erasure are so exhausting to continually experience. #Hilton hotels, train your staff better. 🙄 #travelingwhilequeer #LBGTQ #homophobia #HiltonHotels #CustomerService #CustomerExperience