In light of the past story on Pink Ghettos in Canberra I was wondering if there were any Rainbow Ghettos in this city? That is places that are friendly to, and good employers for sexual orientation and gender diverse people?
I’ve had some friends leave a major government employer specifically because of their poor attitude towards gender diverse people (hint hint they did a review of the treatment of women, but ignored Trans people). Similarly there are some businesses that some of my gay and gender diverse friends would never work at because they have gained a reputation as being very hostile towards them.
So, are there employers in this city where being gay or gender diverse is welcomed? Where discrimination is the exception rather than the norm? Where one’s life style choices are not going to see them face a glass ceiling? Where a man wearing a dress isn’t going to be harassed? Where a woman with a girlfriend isn’t going to be grounds for gossip then eventual dismissal? Where being a lesbian isn’t going to see the males in the organisation or business harass her for not going out with them?
I’m asking about all the flavours of the rainbow too, not just gay, lesbian or bi. Trans and Intersex as well thanks.
The terms pink and rainbow ghettos are gross.
I don’t know any ghettos but I know lots of lesbians in the public service who I don’t think have ever had a problem. In the public service at least it should be pretty easy to report any discrimination and get it dealt with.
Also lol at the person who says “partner” is deliberately gender neutral, sometimes it isn’t, I’m straight but now I’m getting older I’ve started saying “partner” instead of “boyfriend” because boyfriend sounds immature and short term, but we’re not married or planning to be married so “husband” or “fiancé” are wrong. So “partner” sounds better.
Oh the boss of my last non public service job was gay. I suppose that makes us friendly, but not a ghetto? Lol
1337Hax0r said :
The rabble that had been roused aside, I don’t think anyone had an answer for the OP, at least not in the sense she seemed to be looking for.
1337Hax0r said :
There’s a biiig difference between a workplace being ‘safe’ for someone (of whichever stripe) and calling it a ‘ghetto’ in the sense that the original article meant. Certainly I’ve worked at places where there have been GLBTI people and there’s been no problem with there being GLBTI people, but to describe them as ‘rainbow ghettos’ wouldn’t be appropriate (or useful). Going back to the ‘pink ghetto’ business that inspired ThatUniStudent, I’ve certainly worked in mostly-female places also, but wouldn’t call them ‘pink ghettos’. If the OP is indeed looking for employment for herself or someone she knows, I hope they find it in a good place, but I think the notion of the pink/blue/rainbow/whatever ghetto may have been inflated by that piece right at the start.
However, I see this as nothing like saying that there are no safe workplaces for gay people.
PBO said :
You should do a whole series of those on the RiotACT. I’d even pay for premium subscription.
PBO said :
Sheer genius.
1337Hax0r said :
I’m not homophobic, I stared down a wild a homosexual right in the eye as he was charged towards me and I was not afraid.
I found him when i was doing my sweep of the office checking for radicals, revolutionaries and rainbow touting no-goodniks when i came across what i would call one trophy room. He was hiding in the supplies closet not ten feet from me. As i cautiously moved forward, a four hundred pound, ferocious bearded gay man crouched.
When he caught my scent he started roaring angrily with a “wowo” added to it to give it zing but not to detract from the fearsome gist of it.
I slowly reached for my trusty Red Rider, 200 shot .22 BB rifle with the walnut finish and the compass in the stock and brought it up to aim. I pulled the trigger, firing a small yet powerful blast at the hairy man bears neck. The shot should have killed the brute instantly I foolishly hoped, but only made him more aroused.
I tried to run, but the cad lunged at me, swatting me with his paw like hands and digging his teeth into my left arm, breaking it as if it were a twig. I though to myself; “If I survive this encounter, I now might be a Were-Gay. (The bite of some homosexuals has been known to pass on the gay “Q” enzyme causing random and severe bouts of “Gay”) , but first i must deal with this before this heavy set yet light in the loafers juggernaut can contaminate the water supply.”
I was then raised me into the air and he shook me like a rag doll. My life would have been over if my trusty African man helper, Melbawe Tuk-Tuk, had not shot at the bounder as he tossed me about.
The office was now a little safer and less PC and I swear the pelt i got off him to make my safari suit \ shoe combo looked absolutely fabulous.
1337Hax0r said :
Actually in my place of work we play “hunt the poofter”. If we find anyone we even suspect of gay tendencies, like wearing aftershave, liking “Sex and the City,” or not drinking at least a slab of VB a day, we mercilessly hound them until they quit. Or if they push us we tar and feather them and make them walk through Garima place wearing a sandwich board with “I am a shirt-lifter” on it.
No mercy any more, this scourge of equal opportunities must be stamped out!
devils_advocate said :
I fail to see how lying and misrepresentation should be seen as desirable conduct.
johnboy said :
Amen to that. I know that being a minority in a majority world can be very, very difficult, but I’ve certainly known people who have too readily pinned their social shortcomings on others supposedly not being able to handle their orientation/status/etc (instead of others not being able to handle their poor manners or never being nice to anyone).
HenryBG said :
Umm, not claiming to be an expert on genetics but I would’ve thought that something like homosexuality (maybe that should just be ‘sexuality’??) would involve more than one gene – same as for something like schizophrenia…which brings me to my second point – I thought the nurture/nature debate was dead and buried and that all sensible people agreed that it’s a continuum not a dichotomy…and my third, perhaps sexuality is a predisposition ie you need ‘something’ to ‘trigger’ it???
Thumper said :
Simply a matter of Professor Dawkins displaying necessary intellectual honesty.
1337Hax0r said :
Another conclusion is that no gay ghettos exist in Canberra because most gay people get on with the job like everyone else and dont carry on like idiots and make an issue of their sexuality in their workplace.
johnboy said :
This is a good point. I worked with a gay guy years ago who everyone hated. He said it was because he was gay. It wasn’t, it was because he was a whining, rude dickhead.
Most of the homosexual people I’ve worked with over the years have been cool. I didn’t even realise some of them were gay, because with cool people it doesn’t seem to be an issue.
Wow, all these posts and not a single one managed to aswer the question in the OP.
So I take it not only are there no safe work places for gay people, but lots of the posters here are homophobic.
I think the bigger point is that whoever you are, and wherever you go, you have to meet other people in the middle.
There are very few workplaces where a really cool gay guy, or lesbian girl, can’t be the hit of the party.
On the other hand if you’re a social failure it might be comforting to blame your sexuality.
Erg0 said :
That kind of gives an unfair advantage to those religions whose holy texts formed the basis of the written language in various societies. By definition, whatever was in those books was grammatically correct.
Erg0 said :
By calling “there is no god” an unproveable statement, you are asking for me to prove a negative, which is nonsense.
“There is no god” is a true statement until somebody proves it is wrong.
HenryBG said :
Well, if you think that arguing from ignorance grants you some kind of authority then good luck to you. Where I’m from, an unproveable statement with no supporting evidence is called “opinion” – don’t confuse science with logic.
Baldy said :
“That’s just an opinion” is exactly how Homeopaths and anti-vaccine loons defend their idiotic nonsense.
You do not appear to be the full quid.
Interestingly, that most prominent of atheists, Richard Dawkins, author of the God Delusion, recently stated that he could not prove the non existence of God.
Just thought I’d throw that in 🙂
Would anyone really want a socially specific ghetto near them?
I would not want to have to go from the accordian playing, orthodox jew, Tongan of Scottish decent district to go deal with psuedo upper-class Do-gooding, lefty-socialist, gay Uighur supporting, uni-students who live in the Hipster district that you probably have not heard about just to get some milk and bread.
There will always be some sort of hassassment where ever you go. You will probably get harrassed regardless of sexuality, religion or way of life.
I am sure that you have heard these words before: toughen up and take it on the chin.
Erg0 said :
Precisely.
Erg0 is giving us some sort of post-modern interpretation of logic and science: logic as a matter of perspective. Pfffft.
I do not have to word my assertion of the negative in any particular way, “there is no evidence to support the existence of God” is a waste of words when I can more clearly and simply state, “there is no God”.
If I’m wrong, present your evidence.
I’m sure they’ve done lots of work with homosexual drosophila you can refer to.