Queer Bashed

[Dolciana (imported)]

Last week I applied for a job with NW Assoc. via an Internet job board. The same day they e-mailed me and asked me to come in for an interview, which was this morning. It took about 90 minutes and $10 in gas to drive in heavy traffic to their building near Lake Union. The offices were quite nice and it turned out that the 'interview' was to first fill out a paper job application w/ EEOC questionnaire and then clerical skills testing. I only got as far as the application and left, seems I forgot my pink triangle.

The application was fairly standard, but the (required) signed release was not. The language in the release was very expansive - allowing seemingly any and all inquiries, gossip, hearsay, and innuendo into the applicant's lifestyle, character, morals, reputation, credit, etc. They were careful not to use any derogatory language, but the intent was crystal clear.

Occasionally, I've seen somewhat similar applicant disclosure agreements used by conservative or rightwing religious groups & businesses. It's just slightly more politically correct these days. Obvious, yet cautiously oblique, deniable, and still ever self-righteous.

How sad - so full of hate all in all. As I walked back to my car I wondered if perhaps they'd just rather burn me at the stake.

Two funny things: One, I was (and still am) a celibate virgin before transitioning 20 years ago. Two, I needed the job and was praying the Rosary in my car on the way into Seattle this morning.

Dolciana

[RustyDai (imported)]

I'm sorry. I hope you find a better job soon.

[bobover3 (imported)]

I think you're being a bit paranoid. It's common now to the point of normality for companies to make inquiries about prospective employees. The higher the position, the more thorough the vetting. It's now standard for employers to look at credit reports, school, military, and police records (if any), and even look at social media such as Facebook and Google. You may have to take a drug test and a medical exam. This has all been described in numerous newspaper and magazine articles. You can argue about its relevance, but employers want to know who they're hiring. Wouldn't you, if you were doing the hiring? The release gives them the right to make any inquiries they deem fit.

Sorry, but you won't get a job at any big company today without something like this. Remember that the depth of inquiry is in proportion to the seniority of the job. If you're looking for clerical work, they probably won't look too deep. These things are NOT directed at sexuality. In fact, most big companies have written policies condoning homosexuality, and openly promote themselves as gay-friendly environments. At my last job at AT&T before I retired, my boss, as straight a man as possible, glued a pink triangle to his office door to let people know he was gay-friendly.

You'll have to choose. Work for a big company and they'll want the right to do a background check. Only businesses too small to afford it will overlook it. But know that laws now punish discrimination because of sexuality, so regardless of their personal feelings, managers will not discriminate (at least not openly).

[Dolciana (imported)]

A few days earlier I also interviewed for a government job. The application process is comprehensive and seems fair. An applicant is not asked to sign a broad and intrusive agreement to lay one's life bare to any and all discretionary employer snooping.

I stand on the side of protecting individual human rights. Corporations are not divine and employers - managers - supervisors are not infallible, irrespective of policies, procedures or even laws. The recent banking & robo-signing mortgage scandals in the US bear witness to that.

In the mid 90's I worked for a Catholic hospital system. One day I was accused by a supervisor or being a lesbian - a sin in the RC Church. At the time it was perfectly legal to openly fire a worker for homosexuality. To keep my job, I was forced to apologize to a co-worker for in-effect, not being feminine enough.

It's somewhat like the teacher who asks a student in front of the class if their parent came home drunk again last night.

How should the student answer?

The answer is that the student should lie for all they're worth - because simply asking the question is an abuse of power. The student and the teacher are not equals in power or maturity or anything else. Those who abuse power do not deserve the Truth (with respects to Dietrich Bonhoeffer).

[bobover3 (imported)]

The government operates according to its own rules, which may be better than elsewhere. I was saying what you can expect from any employer large enough to have a personnel department. A business needn't claim divinity to be concerned about who it hires. Let me remind you that many corporate managers are gay - I was one. During my years at AT&T, I saw many, many people who were openly gay or lesbian. If they were good at their jobs and people liked them, it made no difference.

Sorry about your hospital experience, but you might expect any religious organization to be run according to the tenets of that religion, or the staff's understanding of those tenets.

It can be an unjust world, but it's much better than it used to be. In the 1950s and 60s, when I was a kid, gays were detested. I still remember a kid in 7th grade saying "fags should be killed" and the teacher, an elderly lady, nodding and smiling her approval. Things are incomparably better now, but people have their prejudices and always will. They like people like themselves. That makes it tough on any minority.

[TNHoundDob (imported)]

Sexual discrimination. The definition varies from state to state. In tha majority of states the firing of an individual due to thier homosexuality or transgender idetification is PERFECTLY LEGAL. There are states that protect gay lesbian and transgender people from discrimination, however the majority still do not.

[bobover3 (imported)]

Big businesses that operate in many states usually mold their personnel policies to fit and and all of these states because they want uniform policies. That means if there's one state that prohibits discrimination, the company will prohibit it everywhere. I worked for AT&T, which had a written policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual preference. They even formed a committee for gay employees to explain sensitivities to senior management, and a Vice President came out and was publicly praised for it. I think AT&T is typical. This doesn't reflect any special liberality. Big businesses want to avoid any legal trouble or bad publicity; they want everyone to be a customer or employee without interference. Individual managers are obviously still bigots, but now they have to go underground. Their prejudices are no longer respectable, which is progress.

[OneBallBoi (imported)]

I am going to try posting this here to see if I am admonished by Kristoff again.. Being a homosexual is the worst curse, God could place on any man. Family never accepts your homosexuality. Family will stop at nothing whatsoever to hurt you as much as they can because you are homosexual. Anyone should hide from the trust. Any and every homosexual should never come out or admit they are homosexual. God is really cursing you when you designed as homosexual.

[tugon (imported)]

I am going to try posting this here to see if I am admonished by Kristoff again.. Being a homosexual is the worst curse, God could place on any man. Family never accepts your homosexuality. Family will stop at nothing whatsoever to hurt you as much as they can because you are homosexual. Anyone should hide from the trust. Any and every homosexual should never come out or admit they are homosexual. God is really cursing you when you designed as homosexual.

I would like to admonish you for not seeking help in dealing with these emotions. Yes people sometimes say aweful things about you as a gay man but you have internalized it and repeat it about yourself. We have different views on religion and your God should be a loving one. Do not judge God or think God judges you so negatively because of ignorant ministers or hateful church members. Look within yourself and find the good within you and you might find many are wrong. Peace.

[talula]

No, god isn't cursing you if you are homosexual. If a person is homosexual and can't accept it, they are cursing themselves.

It is like that lemon thing. If a person feels they have been dealt a lemon in life, make lemonade not sulfuric acid.