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Great post!
Thought I'd come over here for a quick visit to your blog, since you visited mine, and waddya know - I enjoyed it so much that I stayed for a while.
My dad is gay. He's not the flamboyant, limp wrist type, but he's not the type to keep it in the closet either. If asked directly what his sexual orientation is, I imagine his first response would be "Why do you care?" Then he would answer truthfully, provided the setting was one in which the question was appropriate to begin with.
It's my opinion that discussions of a sexual nature have no business in the workplace regardless of sexual orientation. I don't have hangups. I just feel that there's a time and a place for everything.
Anyway, great blog!
posted by
myrrhage_
on March 17, 2004 at 3:27 PM
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My husband has always
said that Black people will always be discriminated against because they are so visible in our society.
He once turned down a promotion because he felt that the stress of trying to be "Whiter than White" to attempt the impossibility of "fitting in" would be too much for him.
posted by
GRYPHON
on March 17, 2004 at 1:31 PM
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I think something important was overlooked in between the lines of Tamara99
comment. The company was not willing to withstand the repercussions of, or pay the financial price of having someone who is obviously gay advance in the ranks. This is a reality that employers have to face. Not just with gays but with all minorities. Balance what is right versus how clients, other employees and people in general will react. I speak from experience. It is very difficult to run a business when a quiet boycott takes place. When suddenly as a business owner you discover that people aren't as enlightened and tolerant as they are willing to pay lip service to. The employer becomes faced with a cold, stark reality. Continue to support the promotion of the individual and ride out the resultant business down turn ( if you can afford to ) or do not promote the employee in the first place. Ultimately barring the promotion is the easiest route for all involved including the employee. Sad ain't it ?
posted by
gomedome
on March 16, 2004 at 4:04 PM
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Very good post Editormum.
And thought provoking.
posted by
CatLadyintheAttic
on March 16, 2004 at 3:47 PM
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Good post
and *lol* at your editing of my comment ;)
Do you remember the character Pat from Saturday Night Live? The whole point of the character was how uncomfortable it made people feel not knowing if Pat was male or female. Gender identity is VERY strong - in fact, the first question people ask when you have a baby is 'boy or girl'. They don't ask "does it have ten fingers and toes" "is it healthy" "do you love it". No - we just want to know which side it's on.
With Pat, it was okay to talk about it because nobody found Pat attractive. But there are people that I've seen (in real life or in pictures), that it's hard to tell, and I *do* find them attractive. It's The Crying Game. THAT's where the 'uncomfortable' part is for many people - to be 'tricked' into being attracted to someone they would NOT be attracted to if they had known.
--T99
posted by
Tamara99
on March 16, 2004 at 3:24 PM
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None are objectionable
I think i that gay stereotypes are totally misleading and out of date.
On the one hand, there are many more gays and lesbians who are leading corporations, government departments, official bodies or in popular culture than we'll ever know. But yes as T99 says many hit the glass ceiling just for being themselves.
posted by
beachbelle
on March 16, 2004 at 3:21 PM
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