The Face in the Mirror

Oct 12th, 2010 11:54 AM By Kathryn

Every morning when I get up, I do what most people do: go to the bathroom to start my day. And in that process, at some point or another, I find myself looking the mirror. I’m proud to be a straight woman, but I have many friends who don’t have that luxury. They are forced to hide who they are, and look into the mirror every day wondering when they can be the person who they want to be, the person that they can be proud of. There isn’t a single person who deserves to have to go through that, to have to walk the streets going unnoticed, ashamed of who they are.

I’m an actress, and the biggest part of that is to be someone completely different from who I am, and that’s not an easy task by any means. However, there are far too many people who are members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community who are forced to be someone else every hour of every day. Just imagining it, I’m exhausted. They do this out of fear of losing their job, friends, being beaten, humiliated, and shunned. I do it out of passion for preforming and because I love it. They don’t have a choice. I don’t want to live in a world where this is acceptable. They should’ve have to.

I give a damn. You should too.

Once Afraid Now Safe

Oct 12th, 2010 11:39 AM By Chadwyck

Every job I’ve had in my past there was homophobia in it. In fact, from the time I had my first job at the age of 14, the only jobs that I felt safe in were the last two and my current one. Because homophobia has become a major concern with other forms of discrimination here in Canada, too many people are finding it difficult to be out of the closet at work.

Fortunately, the job I have now in one of Canada’s top 5 banks, TD Canada Trust, has a code of conduct in place. It is what determines one’s safety and protection. It covers everything from race, gender, sexual orientation and religion. We have a diverse group of people where I work. Everybody there now knows that I’m gay. A lot of people accept it which is great. What I have come to realize is that you could be working in the organization for 25 years and I could walk in the door with only 25 days of experience with the same company and if you…the 25 year old experienced person said anything against the code of conduct and I take it to human resources, you might as well kiss your 25 year career goodbye.
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Outed on Day 1

Oct 12th, 2010 11:35 AM By Erik

When I was just 18 years old and started working for a major retail company in the Midwest, it had only been 2 years since I had accepted the fact that I was gay. It wasn’t wrong to feel the feelings I felt. Without my knowledge, most to three-quarters of my would-be co-workers had already made up their minds that I was gay and a “flaming faggot.” This was before I even punched into the time clock to officially start working for that company.

For the next 11 years of my life, I had to constantly defend myself against the negative comments, stares and at times, threats that were directed towards me. What made working there even more unbearable was when I told my management team, they completely ignored what I was telling them saying to me that “it’s just idle rumors that people are starting, pay no attention” or “you need to get a thicker skin and not let it bother you so much.”

As of last month, I no longer work for this company, but it’s not because of the discrimination, it’s because of a rules violation that I committed. I hope that when the lesbian, gay. bisexual and transgender community reads this story, they’ll be able to get some courage from it and hopefully recognize some of the warning signs of workplace discrimination. I don’t condone what was done to me, but I am also a testament to the fact that persistence pays off and you too can work through some of the adversity that comes with everyday life.

Garden Center Embarrassment

Oct 12th, 2010 11:30 AM By casey

I was a plant specialist in a Home and Garden Center. I cared a lot about my customers, how happy they were and about the help they got. I showed pride in who I was and was never afraid to be me. However, working in a place where a few people had issues with differences.

I was pointed out by one of the owners in front of over 200 people, he flat out called me a “Fag” and said that my kind was not liked or wanted around here. I could only stand there, as so many people did, in shock of what was said. No one could speak up, not even me. So many customers that I helped, and who knew me by name, could only stand there powerless watching me being attacked by a money and power crazed man.

That day I left after my shift was done, I had gone up to one of the managers and said “I hope you are happy you, guys have your wish I am not coming back.” He smiled and said good. I left the store that day, my head held high because I did not lose myself. I left a place of hate, but I was sad because I left so many friends behind.

I was 17 when I started working at this place and struggled on a daily basis with one of the owners and one manager, and yes a couple staff. I came out stronger knowing to never hide myself and always love who I am and to never be afraid to be who I am. I went on to helping other people find who they are and fight for their rights as humans for equality.

I give a damn and my heart is huge and goes to everyone out there. With my heart on my sleeve and open arms I give a big gay warm hug.

Always smile and love yourself, be who you are and give a damn because I do.

Learn Who Your True Friends Are

Oct 12th, 2010 11:03 AM By Jill

I work for the government. There is a woman in my office that I thought was my best friend. We use to hang out all the time. Short story on that, we stopped talking. Now, I am currently going through a rumor that has her involved. Now the word is spreading about me and her making a video of us doing things. It hurts me because I have never done anything with her, so there cannot be a video.

The rumor goes like this: we were drinking one night and I came onto her. (This is where the story splits.) One version is saying that she didn’t like it and her husband found out and that’s why we stopped talking. Another version is that she liked it and someone saw and taped us.

I haven’t really came out that I am bisexual. The girl, Grace we’ll call her, knew I had an attraction to women. But I never really talked about it. Now that its going around several offices, I have to explain that it’s not true. And pretty much come out about my sexual orientation, when I feel I don’t need to. Because I know that it will cause a stir.
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Never Happened to Me Before

Oct 12th, 2010 10:59 AM By Joseph

I grew up in a household where hate simply did not exist. I came out at the age of 19. Never once did I experience any emotional disconnect from my family or friends. It wasn’t until I was 30 years old that I experienced hate firsthand.

I was working for a local hotel here in Savannah, GA as an entry level engineer. After my previous job of 10 years, and never once facing any discrimination, there I was under the very false impression that the hotel industry was a very safe place for a gay man like myself. Boy was I wrong.

I never made my sexual orientation public knowledge, but never did I hide or deny it. If I was asked I would tell. I sat there and listened to a co-worker make numerous discriminatory remarks and kept my mouth closed. I was told “that’s just who he is.” Finally I had enough. I filed a complaint with HR. I was told that comments and conduct like his would not be tolerated. I was told that immediate action would be taken.

I was suspended and then fired when my 90-day evaluation period had ended, having never been reprimanded once for my job performance. This was only days after my complaint. I was simply told that “I wasn’t the right person for that department.” I believe the person whom I filed the complaint against is still employed by the company.

A Place That Gives a Damn

Oct 12th, 2010 10:57 AM By Jeremé

I am thankful to the business to which I am employed at currently. Though I am only 20 and just beginning in the working world, I have worked in multiple places ever since I was 16. In almost 5 years, my current job is the only one that I have felt completely comfortable being myself, a gay man.

I know what it is like to be discriminated against in many different areas of your life, including high school, college, work, and family life. I am also thankful that in all these cases there have been people to whom I could turn to when I need comfort or to just vent about the day’s events.

I hope that in my lifetime, I can live in my country of birth and not fear loss of my job or feel like I have to watch my back when I go out with friends just because of my sexual orientation.

My Life as a HIV Young Guy

Oct 12th, 2010 10:47 AM By Felipe

My life was like any other guys life I think. I had my friends, my family, my boyfriend and my job. I never really liked very much the job that I had but I went along with it because after all I needed to work. Everything was fine then, but in September 2009 my life changed in a way that I never thought it could. After being sick in bed for 10 days, I could hardly walk, it was horrible, the doctor gave me a 7 day break and a strictly diet.

So, I followed the diet and I stayed in bed, after that I came back to my work and in that very same day I felt all sick again, so the next day I went back to the doctor and he told me that I HAD to go for the HIV test, so I did it that same day. Seven days later I went to pick up the results and the girl in the front desk told me that I should go on Monday to have ‘em. I felt so nervous and uneasy, but I went on Monday and the nurse told me that my exam has been positive and I had to go for a second exam to reassure that result.
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You’re Fired

Oct 12th, 2010 10:28 AM By James

In 2002 I was working in Tampa, Florida. One day after work, I met a friend at a local ‘gay’ bar for a couple cocktails.

Evidently, as I was leaving, one of my co-workers was at a different shop located next to the bar and saw me leave.

The next day at work, I was called into the owner’s office where I told I was seen leaving the bar and was asked point blank if I was gay. I answered honestly, yes.

I was immediately terminated, told ‘that lifestyle is not supported here’, escorted to my office by security, given 5 minutes to gather my personal belongings under security supervision, then escorted to my car and off the premises.

Only one week prior I had received my annual review and was given a raise due to ‘exemplary performance’.

In the state of Florida, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have no right to file grievances against being fired for being gay, as that action is legal in the state.

It was over 2 years later before I was able to gain viable employment…and only after I relocated to a different area in Florida.

My dream, no one ever has to experience what I did.

Fired for Being a Homosexual

Oct 12th, 2010 10:25 AM By Candi

I’ve been working within the food industry for over 10 years now. I manage stores. I’m rather good/the best (not to be bragging) at what I do! During the summer of 09, I decided it was time to move back to the middle of nowhere Kansas and be with my family and friends. A company couldn’t wait to grab me up and put me in one of their stores. Till they found out I was gay, then it became a whole new job.

I had to fight and prove that I wasn’t doing things I was accused of. So my friendly legal adviser told me to go buy a recorder. Well it was all over after I recorded my supervisor allowing other colleagues of mine to call me a “f***ing faggot.” Or so I thought!

The supervisor was fired for telling the other colleagues about my sexual discrimination complaint to the director of operations. Yet the ones that actually did the taunting, kept their job without any repercussions. I figured maybe it would all stop. Nope, it continued.

In December of 09 I was hurt on the job. The company refused to allow me to see a doctor, I had to fight the work comp adjusters, HR, and my new supervisor. If something was to go wrong, I was accused of it. Enough was enough, I was able to deal with the name calling, we worked in different restaurants, but it was impossible to work together. And that’s a must in the restaurant industry!
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