Scooby Snacks 23

The company I work for have recently announnced their intention to launch a 'network' for people in the companywho are homos, dykes, cross dressers and those that drink out of both taps : I think the correct terminology in this day and age is actually gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender. The intention is for these people to be able to discuss their experiences, to help educate others and to promote their 'kind' in the workplace

I, amongst others, have taken great offence to this. Once again, it is the tail that wags the dog effect (i.e. the minority telling the majority what to do) and I feel that as a hetrosexual man in my (late ) 30s with a wife and family, I am discriminated against on the grounds of sexual orientation - there's no network for me!

I have grown up to believe that you go to work to do just that - WORK (and occasionally looking at SN )- and in return, you get paid for it. Should it really matter what your sexual or even policitical preferences are? Can't we all just get on with what we're being paid to do without the need to glamorise what other people get up to?

Phew - breath in and breath out.

Rant over.

bugeyeandy

It's not bigotry , I completely agree with the OP. In my workplace where hundreds are jobs are being lost the company routinely throws good money at promoting this sort of tosh all in the name of Diversity.

urban

iTrader: (1)

We'll said.
Must be the generation we were brought up with.
I too am in my Late 30's.
There's a few in here that like to stand around talking about shyte that has no meaning or purpose in the workplace.
The few that do this are males that must just be very much in touch with their feminine side.

Markus

By creating this network they think it will help everyone get along better. Perhaps it's just me, but it seems that this is segregating people further.
There should be no need for a network. Do those for whom this network is being setup actually want it? Perhaps some of them do not wish their orientation to become public knowledge in the workplace.

I really don't wish to be told about the experiences of those of a different orientation (well, unless it's cute lesbian, then I'm sure most of us red blooded males would be interested to hear the sordid details ). I've no problem with working with someone who has a different sexual orientation to me.

Lee247

Not being funny here, but what the hell has a persons sexual preferences got to do with the work place

austinwrx

we had a bloke at work (married white man) who started growing his hair long, painting his nails....... next thing he was demanding his right to come to work in a dress.

fortunately he got a long secondment at a government office in london.

where he could where his dress.

last we heard he was having the time of his life wearing his dress and having fun with his new black boyfriend.

good luck to them- do what you want in yr own time, but I don't want to know about it at work.

SJ_Skyline

Everything if you work in a brothel

Lee247

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Had this at GMP, now I have no problem with the Gay community at all, in fact I have said being gay looked fun apart for the whole having to have sex with men thing, see ladies of Scoobynet, how lucky femalekind has been....

I have no axe to grind whatsover but it was amazing, my boss was Lesbian and was a rep for the Lesbian and Gay Society and there was a lot of time spent in that capacity, I have no problem with the idea but surely it should be more biased towards the organisation side being done in the individuals own time, no time was devoted to Heterosexual issues.

We had a Policeman become and Policewoman, now I again have no issue with that and sympathise with anyone who is so unhappy and determined that that want to change gender but we ended up having the whole IT branch in a longish meeting (140 people or therabouts) to discuss this with the Lesbian, Gay and Transgender society as they had now become, everyone already understood what the score was, people arent daft, Dave goes off and comes back Davina having been wearing a dress for some time anyway, so what, ok we perhaps needed telling but 140 people for over an hour, what was wrong with team leaders explaining in a two minute chat to their staff ?

I can see where they are coming from but as usual it was totally over the top having already attended diversity workshops.

It was funny, however when a colleague got done for some years back interfering with a Minor (not the car) that a veil of silence descended that exists to this day !

ScoobyWon't

Terrible. Can't believe they let him out of the pit to give him an opportunity to be interfered with Still, I shouldn't mention the police and miners in the same thread, there'll be accusations of bullying and apportioning blame for riots

Timwinner

iTrader: (3)

Tell em your one of those fellas that likes to fiddle with animals and you want your own network.

IWatkins

Had the same at my workplace, plus a separate network for woman.

We all complained as it *is* discrimination and I believe there is now one for men as well. of course, no one bothers with it.

NotoriousREV

When a new guy started at our place last year we took him to the local pub for lunch to make him feel welcome he started talking about hi partner, a bloke and then looked at us all for a reaction. When none came, he repeated it and still no one batted an eyelid. He looked quite crestfallen.

Turbohot

I am impressed! I think ongoing diversity dose is important in any organisation, not just in the Police.

^Good point, well made

Nothing wrong with transgender, or any gender. Promoting diversity means looking deeper than differences to search for abilities. Hardly any place is getting swamped over/taken over by any minority TBH. Minority people are outnumbered by the majority, as they are in minority LOL Getting the ratio and proportion right is not a bad idea, is it? It's just another issue for heterosexuals to get wound up about for nothing IMO.

bugeyeandy

I think it's more that we waste valuable time and resources being told what is blatently obvious that is winding us up more than anything.

j4ckos mate

i have my widgey tucked between my legs right now do i qualify?

NotoriousREV

It counts if it's yours but it counts more if it's someone else's

Turbohot

I don't entirely disagree with you, because they do come up with some cr@p ideas to promote diversity. Millions of leaflets on diversity are a total waste if people's minds remain unchanged. On contrary, taking people for what they are is not so well-practised, lets face it. In case of transgender orientation, we are far from unprejudiced. In order to change that, some money and time have to be spent. I work alongside a respectable transgender person. She (now) could cut your ears off in terms of work-related performance. Her academic achievements, her past as a man hinders her from being where she should be in her career path. She has been stoned by passersby chavs, her house has been trashed, and she has been labelled as a weirdo by her neighbours. She harms no one, but people have problem with her wearing a dress, and having her dangler chopped off.
Examples of this kind are worthy of reasonable divesity promotion for long lasting impact IMO.

Removed.

Oh don't get me started, friggin diversity! I don't care who sticks what up or in another person outside of work, diversity is just another stick to beat the average white bloke(yes, like me) with. Diversity can go too far. In the US they have to allow people like neo-***** the right to spout their poison, as it's freedom of speech, same with those Anoboro(sp?) baptists that spew hatred at military funerals. People should treat others as they expect to be treated themselves, plain and simple.

I also agree with the "work is work" sentiment. There was aguy that worked in our office who was so gay he fitted all the stereotypes, but you know what, it didn't matter because he was a really nice bloke, and he was good at his job. The fact that ne was gay should make no difference, exactly as NOT being gay, lesbian, trans whatever shouldn't be any different. I had a heated discussion with a diversity trainer about how diversity was a two way street, but wasn't being treated that way, how average white bloke was made to feel like different because he wasn't in a minority or otherwise different. She couldn't see it. One thought though, how many of you have seen an average straight white bloke teaching diversity?

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

No, you are right, its cos they are all on here and work in IT.

boxst

Just make sure that the sexual harrassment policy is clear ...



Steve

jacrobat

As a gay man I feel that it is patronising to be 'diversified'. Furthermore, we all get lumped together as 'LGBT' and yet we don't even identify or get along as a group. Lesbians and gay men don't mix well and bi people get fed up being told by gay people that they are merely closeted homosexuals. Gay people can also be amongst the most bigoted groups, which is ironic given that many struggle to come out in the first place. The white part regularly discriminates against asian and black gay people and ageism is so rife that gay people over 30 are classified as 'dead' or 'coffin dodgers' if they go clubbing.

Jerome

Reminds me of a time a few years back at a company Xmas party, when a new member of staff (a white male) was asking me all these questions about my views on black people. He seemed to be trying to get me to say something racist. He ended up melodramatically announcing to me that his girlfriend was black. I'm sure he was trying to shock me or something because he seemed genuinely disappointed when I didn't react.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Good point, it does seem that minorities sometimes are considered to be beyond having their own prejudices because they are in a minority, which is kind of insulting as it suggests that because you have a certain "badge" you arent entitled to an opinion as you have bene pigeon holed and looked upon by the do gooders as being great because you are in a minority, when in actual fact anyone regardless of being whatever can be a bigot.

Leslie

I agree with Lee. One sexual preferences are one's own affair and should not concern anyone else. Not only that-I reckon setting up such a network would be divisive and do more harm than good.

I have no quibble with anyone's sexuality, its a private matter as far as I am concerned and I have no wish to know about such things even.

I think it is something you should keep to yourself or maybe with very close friends.

The whole business sounds like a PC Plonker effort just to demonstrate inclusivity to all and for no good purpose.

Les