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Gay Pride at work

paw patrol

I understand why people in the LGBT want or feel the need for Pride and that's cool.

So what's my gripe....

I work in a bank, the bank has reasonable policies on discrimination and respecting others etc....which I agree with.

I go to work and create systems that allows the bank to function.
Why then does the bank need to decorate my office with rainbow flags and posters, spam my inbox with GO PRIDE style pep talk emails, invite us to a range of events during the week and more....?

Why? It's a bank. Is it too much for me to want to go to work , punch the clock and go home with my thinking of social matters being imposed upon?
Why does sexuality get such promotion in a bank , there are many noble campaigns , none get this coverage or close to it.

My workplace isn't alone ...I know it's happening in other companies like insurance companies and American multinationals eg, facebook, google

One such company (i've a friend there) has now a sign-up where you can pledge to be an LGBT ally and receive a special lanyard to wear "with pride" ( You can see what they did there??? ) around the office. The flip side of this is that it has created a culture where those without the lanyard are being asked why not?
Of course it's in an ever so polite and around about way...like "did you see the email on the lanyard" etc...

LGBT and their allies are a small section of society , why must their views be imposed on me at work. Christmas doesn't get such PR in my job.

I'm fairly neutral and happy to live and let live (on most matters) but this constant barrage at work makes me resent LGBT (the campaign rather than the individual people) a little.

I did ask at work and I got weird looks from HR and a bland meaningless reply about equality and diversity etc....
I think I am now guilty of wrong-think and possibly a second charge of using an outdated version of newspeak.:rolleyes: in the eyes of HR.

Strikes me as a corporate **** off in virtue signalling
Yes I did say Virtue Signalling. happy?

Is it wrong of me to want to just go to work in peace. No campaigns , promotions of any kind?

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mickrock

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

Now I've got another email telling me the entire business park is putting on a Rainbow Fair pride party tomorrow at lunch, complete with drag DJ.

It'd be great if they had an impersonator doing some of the great gays of the past.

John Inman: "I'm free!"

Larry Grayson: "Shut that door!"

AllForIt

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

I work for an American multinational manfacturing factory where they're doing loads of this lately. Sending e-mails, hanging posters, and the organised a group of 30 people to a Pride event in Dublin a while ago, making special t-shirts for them and anyone who wanted one. There are 420 working there, and I know of 5 gay people. I know there might be more but I doubt if there are many more. I've worked there 22 years so I know most people.

And you figure that this issue is specifically about the factual number of homosexuals that are employed in your company? :rolleyes:

I was beginning to have some sympathy for all the unwanted emails but when I read revealing posts like yours I've changed my mind.

pleas advice

jcorr wrote: »

Lol at drag DJ. Will the dj play village people.....that would be priceless

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6HVXCClQcqE

Changingtime

Bored of it myself..overloaded by mails, committees, notices, events, desk drops and being asked to attend talks etc.

I get it. Diversity and inclusion. Being comfortable coming out. Remove discrimination from workplace.

But Jesus when can we move on?

I haven't come across a single discrimination case in this area in my career (20 years in financial services). Women's equality and sexual harassment - yes. Even witnessed a harsh example of racism that led to sackings and I had to give witness statement. Maybe these areas are not too hip enough for coloured lanyards or attractive enough for company advertising and social media profile. Pro-rata time spent on LGBT is massively excessive.

I'm one of many fed up with this. If anything it's causing me to be spiteful and annoyed with the LGBT community. Which will subconsciously probably make me discriminatory.......which kinda defeats the purpose

Greyfox

Changingtime wrote: »

I get it. Diversity and inclusion. Being comfortable coming out. Remove discrimination from workplace.

But Jesus when can we move on?

Well for more than 2,000 years people coming out have not felt comfortable so if it takes a while its grand as its still nothing compared to the many years the catholic church spent doing damage to gay people. People need to cop on and get over themselves and accept gay pride is a good thing and stop moaning about little things that are easy to ignore

Huntergonzo

It's a load of PC nonsense, now I have nothing against homosexuals and I was delighted by the result of the gay marriage referendum 3 years ago but this sort of rubbish is unnecessary and do gay people even want it?

I don't know about you, but I'd feel pretty uncomfortable being the centre of attention for a whole day/week/month (whatever the period is). Do people not just want to get on with their work?

gmisk

mickrock wrote: »

It'd be great if they had an impersonator doing some of the great gays of the past.

John Inman: "I'm free!"

Larry Grayson: "Shut that door!"

Oh come on....because thats what most of the "gays" are like is it?.

To give a counterpart to the OPs very accepting environment to pride/gay people, I am a gay person (believe it or not, the majority of gay people do not go around screaming Im free and shut that door...), I have been around people in work in the past that have used terms like "queer" and "f#ggot" fairly liberally, I also worked in an environment where all badges etc from the Yes equality (during marriage ref) were banned. I know which environment I would prefer to work in.
So if it doesn't interest you ignore it...and lighten up. Maybe they will have posters and emails for something you have an interest in at some other time.

Changingtime

Greyfox wrote: »

Well for more than 2,000 years people coming out have not felt comfortable so if it takes a while its grand as its still nothing compared to the many years the catholic church spent doing damage to gay people. People need to cop on and get over themselves and accept gay pride is a good thing and stop moaning about little things that are easy to ignore

Here's the hard truth. There are more important and more divisive issues in ireland and in the corporate workplace. I'm not saying just because there are more important issues we shouldn't have focus on gay pride.

But the reason there are so many posting here is because it is now ridiculously disproportionate to the issue. And why - because it is socially pc and corporate image friendly and the thing every one is doing.

Wish companies would grow balls and take a lead and active engagement on drug use, mental health, male suicide, male views of women, homelessness, corruption in local govt, racism.

And yeah, gay pride too. But Jesus that's all anyone is doing of late.

You'd didn't really address my points. Again:

"I haven't come across a single discrimination case in this area in my career (20 years in financial services). Women's equality and sexual harassment - yes. Even witnessed a harsh example of racism that led to sackings and I had to give witness statement. Maybe these areas are not too hip enough for coloured lanyards or attractive enough for company advertising and social media profile. Pro-rata time spent on LGBT is massively excessive.

I'm one of many fed up with this. If anything it's causing me to be spiteful and annoyed with the LGBT community. Which will subconsciously probably make me discriminatory.......which kinda defeats the purpose"

seachto7

Seems to be the thing these days. Mileage upon mileage....

RobertKK

I don't see the point of pushing this at work places. I mean does anyone really care if someone is straight, gay, bi, transgender or what other label people want to put on others. Pushing it at work won't change attitudes. I think most people accept other people not based on their sexual orientation but on how they are as a person if they are nice, kind, helpful etc, not on who they fancy.

kunst nugget

Ted_YNWA wrote: »

If anything it was having a negative effect and turning people against the LGBT community.

Changingtime wrote: »

I'm one of many fed up with this. If anything it's causing me to be spiteful and annoyed with the LGBT community. Which will subconsciously probably make me discriminatory.......which kinda defeats the purpose

Whatever about companies cynically using Pride for good publicity, I think this says more about ye than it does about the companies. It's like the comment I kept reading in the run up to the marriage equality referendum - 'Oh, I was going to vote Yes until people kept pushing it in my face!'

That's honestly a really stupid fúcking reaction. 'Yeah, I used to like the gays until my workplace started promoting Pride and putting up rainbow flags and now I hate them. I'm allergic to flags and bunting and I came out in hives and it's the fault of the quares'.

It's true that lots of people are finding it overkill but most rational people would be able to see that it's the companies that are overegging it for likes and good PR and not go about blaming all gay and trans people for it.

gmisk

kunst nugget wrote: »

Whatever about companies cynically using Pride for good publicity, I think this says more about ye than it does about the companies. It's like the comment I kept reading in the run up to the marriage equality referendum - 'Oh, I was going to vote Yes until people kept pushing it in my face!'

That's honestly a really stupid fúcking reaction. 'Yeah, I used to like the gays until my workplace started promoting Pride and putting up rainbow flags and now I hate them. I'm allergic to flags and bunting and I came out in hives and it's the fault of the quares'.

It's true that lots of people are finding it overkill but most rational people would be able to see that it's the companies that are overegging it for likes and good PR and not go about blaming all gay and trans people for it.

Thank you, really well said, far better than I could.

ohnonotgmail

Changingtime wrote: »

Here's the hard truth. There are more important and more divisive issues in ireland and in the corporate workplace. I'm not saying just because there are more important issues we shouldn't have focus on gay pride.

But the reason there are so many posting here is because it is now ridiculously disproportionate to the issue. And why - because it is socially pc and corporate image friendly and the thing every one is doing.

Wish companies would grow balls and take a lead and active engagement on drug use, mental health, male suicide, male views of women, homelessness, corruption in local govt, racism.

And yeah, gay pride too. But Jesus that's all anyone is doing of late.

You'd didn't really address my points. Again:

"I haven't come across a single discrimination case in this area in my career (20 years in financial services). Women's equality and sexual harassment - yes. Even witnessed a harsh example of racism that led to sackings and I had to give witness statement. Maybe these areas are not too hip enough for coloured lanyards or attractive enough for company advertising and social media profile. Pro-rata time spent on LGBT is massively excessive.
I'm one of many fed up with this. If anything it's causing me to be spiteful and annoyed with the LGBT community. Which will subconsciously probably make me discriminatory.......which kinda defeats the purpose"

yeah, right. that's the reason you would discriminate. Just to show them.

Changingtime

kunst nugget wrote: »

Whatever about companies cynically using Pride for good publicity, I think this says more about ye than it does about the companies. It's like the comment I kept reading in the run up to the marriage equality referendum - 'Oh, I was going to vote Yes until people kept pushing it in my face!'

That's honestly a really stupid fúcking reaction. 'Yeah, I used to like the gays until my workplace started promoting Pride and putting up rainbow flags and now I hate them. I'm allergic to flags and bunting and I came out in hives and it's the fault of the quares'.

It's true that lots of people are finding it overkill but most rational people would be able to see that it's the companies that are overegging it for likes and good PR and not go about blaming all gay and trans people for it.

I voted yes. I don't "hate the gays"..Again, same point and apols if I'm sounding like a broken record. It's too disproportionate to other issues that are more divisive, more relevant, and more impacting in the workplace and in Irish culture.

And you can't blame the companies alone, it's a bandwagon that far too many people have jumped on in dramatic fashion. how you can't see why this creates a resentment, I really can't fathom.

kunst nugget

Changingtime wrote: »

I voted yes. I don't "hate the gays"..Again, same point and apols if I'm sounding like a broken record. It's too disproportionate to other issues that are more divisive, more relevant, and more impacting in the workplace and in Irish culture.

Because companies don't actually want to really deal with issues that are going to impact their workplace and they're definitely not going to be dealing with anything that's going to be divisive - they're only in it for the optics.

Changingtime wrote: »

And you can't blame the companies alone, it's a bandwagon that far too many people have jumped on in dramatic fashion. how you can't see why this creates a resentment, I really can't fathom.

So your problem is that far too many people now respect gay people and are happy to celebrate pride along with them? Who exactly is it creating resentment with and why should we entertain them in that resentment?

We could accuse people of virtue signalling for sure but the flip side is that people that are 'shot from the hip, don't care what snowflakes they offend, anti-pc' do just as much virtue signalling as well.

sbsquarepants

Changingtime wrote: »

I voted yes. I don't "hate the gays"...

Diversity for Hire wrote: »

I don't care about gay pride and I don't want to hear about in work.

I'm the same - I don't care about anyone's sexuality. That's it, work is for working, it's not a place to celebrate what you like to do with your genitals (at least that's my stance since my red hot Polish Taylor Swift lookalike colleague went and got another job, I would have celebrated the shít out of it with her:D)

You're gay, straight, bi whatever - I don't care. I repeat I DONT CARE -
I don't want to oppress you, discriminate against you, I don't judge you, I'm not proud of you, ashamed of you, impressed by you, disgusted by you, I don't want to celebrate it with you - I DONT FÚCKING CARE!

yourdeadwright

How about we scrap gay pride day and just have an equality day, that can Involve everyone, male, female, gay straight, black white whatever,

Greyfox

Changingtime wrote: »

"I haven't come across a single discrimination case in this area in my career (20 years in financial services). Women's equality and sexual harassment - yes. Even witnessed a harsh example of racism that led to sackings and I had to give witness statement. Maybe these areas are not too hip enough for coloured lanyards or attractive enough for company advertising and social media profile. Pro-rata time spent on LGBT is massively excessive.

I'm one of many fed up with this. If anything it's causing me to be spiteful and annoyed with the LGBT community. Which will subconsciously probably make me discriminatory.......which kinda defeats the purpose"

Its more the fact that the workplace is a convenient place to remind people of how important it is that there's no longer a social stigma with been gay so I don't see what's wrong with this as people's attitudes changing over the last few years has been a really good thing. Yes there are much more important issues companies should promote and its terrible they don't promote these bigger issues but the fact that there promoting a less important issue doesn't make the issue not worth promoting.

nullzero

yourdeadwright wrote: »

How about we scrap gay pride day and just have an equality day, that can Involve everyone, male, female, gay straight, black white whatever,

Take your logic and get out of here, you have to process your own P45 these days BTW.

gmisk

yourdeadwright wrote: »

How about we scrap gay pride day and just have an equality day, that can Involve everyone, male, female, gay straight, black white whatever,

IMO pride is already pretty inclusive as it is....have you been to one before? I dont think I have ever seen such a mix of people.

If you want an "equality" day why not start one?
Pride has it roots in LGBT history "Stonewall etc)...so why should it be renamed or totally changed?

There are still plenty of causes for LGBT+ people to campaign for at home and abroad especially when it comes to trans rights IMO.

There was also huge overlap in people who campaigned for Repeal and a yes vote in the marriage referendum for example.

nullzero

gmisk wrote: »

IMO pride is already pretty inclusive as it is....have you been to one before? I dont think I have ever seen such a mix of people.

If you want an "equality" day why not start one?
Pride has it roots in LGBT history "Stonewall etc)...so why should it be renamed or totally changed?

There are still plenty of causes for LGBT+ people to campaign for at home and abroad especially when it comes to trans rights IMO.

There was also huge overlap in people who campaigned for Repeal and a yes vote in the marriage referendum for example.

Take abroad as an example, how about campaigning for the rights of LGBT people in Islamic countries, or the rights of women in Islamic countries?

gmisk

nullzero wrote: »

Take abroad as an example, how about campaigning for the rights of LGBT people in Islamic countries, or the rights of women in Islamic countries?

I agree.
I am sure there are LGBT people in ireland who do campaign for those things.

gmisk

Sponge25 wrote: »

I have nothing against what two adults do beyond closed doors so long as it's legal (because it's none of my buisiness) but prancing down the street in gimp suits and openly marching with NAMBLA (The paedo organisation) is where I start to see these marches for what they are. Marches to normalise every form of deviancy they have not yet normalised.

I havent been in an actual pride march for about 5 years but I have also never seen anyone in a gimp suit at a pride march in Dublin.

What deviancy do you think I am trying to normalise by being in a pride march exactly?

What you said about two adults behind closed doors is interesting, you say "as long as its legal", its only been legal since 1993 to be gay in ireland...so we arent talking ancient history here.

nullzero

I always thought NAMBLA was made up by South Park.

gmisk

I suppose I didn't feel comfortable for a long time being "out" with people.
Things like Pride and the marriage referendum helped me to be more comfortable with who I am, so they can be of huge benefit to people.
This is coming from someone who has experienced homphobic abuse and been assaulted in the past.
But I now feel comfortable enough with who I am to discuss my partner if people ask rather than hiding who I am in work.

Its not as if I would lump myself in with a man walking about in high heels necessarily im pretty masculine (I even like football, god forbid!), but LGBT+ is a pretty wide "church" so to speak and as long as people arent doing any harm to someone else I dont see the issue.

sbsquarepants

nullzero wrote: »

I always thought NAMBLA was made up by South Park.

Some things are too fúcked up even for south park!

whiskeyman

mariaalice wrote: »

Why are workplaces getting involved in all of that carry on at all, wellness, a charity of the year ect and some of it is bizarre, in one place where my husband worked they had mindfull chocolate eating it was one chocolate. The same company let all its contract staff go with one day's notice.

What do companies get from it?.

As far as I can see, behind the happy-clappy we care about our employees, US multinationals are ruthless.

A lot of it is done for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR and PR) reasons.
It makes the company look good, and HR and Co. put it in their 'Great Place to Work' portfolios, and internal newsletters etc...
I can't remember much emphasis on it when the recession was on and money was tight. The budget for such things has increased and companies are competing on these levels now.

Like all CSR things though, there can be some good to it.
If Pride week makes a company a better environment for even 1 person who is worried about their sexuality, well then surely that's a good thing.
At a recent LGBT talk I went to, a foreign colleague stood up and talked from the heart about how he has to hide his sexuality from his friends and even family back home as it's still a stigma there, but here he feels accepted and can be true to himself.

Ted_YNWA

kunst nugget wrote:

That's honestly a really stupid fÃºcking reaction. 'Yeah, I used to like the gays until my workplace started promoting Pride and putting up rainbow flags and now I hate them. I'm allergic to flags and bunting and I came out in hives and it's the fault of the quares'.

That is a bit of an extreme, more of a rant against the overkill.

More against the Pride movement and not any individuals.

Diversity for Hire

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Some things are too fúcked up even for south park!

They need to be dragged out onto the streets and beaten to death.

Dr Brown

In a sane society the LGBT lifestyle would not be promoted.

Living an LGBT lifestyle is just as bad for your health as smoking or obesity.

Yet we don't see any campaigns from the HSE warning people of the dangers of this sort of activity.