August 28, 201511 yr Sat in meetings today about recruitment of minority spend categories for our organization. One of the team members is from California and showed us the Cali state law that recognizes LGBT as a diverse minority category. The ensuing discussion surrounded the "how" for this classification. For most minority categories, generally, we can "confirm" that status: for instance Woman Owned, we were all in agreement that the LGBT category seems very odd because it would require someone "coming out" to determine the category and what would keep a white male from claiming he was gay to gain that status. A very interesting discussion….. Thoughts ?
August 28, 201511 yr Interesting. While I feel that all people, no matter who or what they are, need to be protected and treated fairly and equally. Diversity is a great thing, if those people you are hiring are good enough for the job, but as you brought up, if one wants to be recognized as a minority, if they are not out, how would that work? Who knows, there could already be a good percentage of LGBT's at a business and no one knows it.
August 28, 201511 yr Honest question, what is considered the "majority" anymore? Not sure, but as a white male that doesn't do drugs and has worked since I legally could. I'm feeling more and more like a minority.
August 28, 201511 yr I think it's kind of funny that before ever coming out I was in everyone else's eyes just a white male. It's only through coming out that I lost that distinction, however still I don't wear it on my sleeve, so most everyone who I come in contact with on a daily basis still just sees me as a white male. Personally I'm not too keen on wearing a label that describes me as a minority just because of my sexual orientation. Sure there's more heteros in the world but so what? I guess I do see where protection for some is needed so they're not overlooked or released for such things, but I feel very lucky that as a side product to the place of employment that I started at age 19 and made my whole career working there, was that in their guidelines and bylaws, they stated that they were an institution that did not discriminate for sexual orientation as well as race, or sex, and everything else you would expect. In the year 1983 when I began working there, and wasn't even out to anyone yet, it felt reassuring to see this noted, as well as myself being a rather surprised and also proud and lucky to have started my career under those circumstances. I'm thinking that in 1983 that was already rather progressive of them to make it known that discrimination on this matter would not be acceptable. I eventually came out slowly to a few co-workers here and there who I felt a closeness to, but it sure helped to know beforehand that if and when word got around that it in itself could not be used against me. Sure if they wanted to they could've made up some other bull crap to release me, but thankfully it proved to never be a problem except for a few random younger dudes over the years that felt uneasy, and didn't have the capacity to understand. Most eventually grew up and came around to getting over it with a little bit more of life experience. It's funny that the one who seemed to object the most shared a duplex with his new wife where the other apartment was occupied by a guy and his partner. He got to see up close that they were just real people doing laundry like everyone else, and through a little bit of time started to ease up.
August 28, 201511 yr Ok, I'm 6'5 300 pounds and my bone density is in the 98% percentile, am a veteran and a college grad. I am more in a "minority" than anyone on this board. Really, when does it stop?:idunno:
August 28, 201511 yr Author Interesting. While I feel that all people, no matter who or what they are, need to be protected and treated fairly and equally. Diversity is a great thing, if those people you are hiring are good enough for the job, but as you brought up, if one wants to be recognized as a minority, if they are not out, how would that work? Who knows, there could already be a good percentage of LGBT's at a business and no one knows it. Let me clarify, this is for the recruitment of companies to bid work and the criteria is used an award of competitive contracts, not individual jobs. It puts a straight, white male at a distinct disadvantage in being able to win work for his business...
August 28, 201511 yr Let me clarify, this is for the recruitment of companies to bid work and the criteria is used an award of competitive contracts, not individual jobs. It puts a straight, white male at a distinct disadvantage in being able to win work for his business... People will be lying through their teeth to get the business. There will be no more businesses doing work for the governments that are owned by straight people. Every proposal will be from a minority owned business. Edited August 29, 201511 yr by True blue (and gold) fixed quote tags
August 28, 201511 yr Author Let me clarify, this is for the recruitment of companies to bid work and the criteria is used an award of competitive contracts, not individual jobs. It puts a straight, white male at a distinct disadvantage in being able to win work for his business... People will be lying through their teeth to get the business. There will be no more businesses doing work for the governments that are owned by straight people. Every proposal will be from a minority owned business. That's pretty much exactly what I said in the meeting, I was told that we would rely on an individual's ethics...right, let's go with that. Edited August 29, 201511 yr by True blue (and gold) fixed quote tags
August 28, 201511 yr Wait...what? @BirdBrain, I thought that you WERE gay?! Changes my whole perspective of you. (Not that there's anything wrong with that!) :idunno:
August 28, 201511 yr Author Why would that change your perspective ? I mean I understand if it changed @nkuclubbaseball19 perspective....but yours ? Baffling...
August 28, 201511 yr Why would that change your perspective ? I mean I understand if it changed @nkuclubbaseball19 perspective....but yours ? Baffling... My perspective of you is frightening.
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.