Lez Keep It Real

I’m a fan of good news. There’s a reason why I don’t watch the news before I go to bed. The news likes to report mostly on bad news, and who needs to go to sleep with bad news on their mind? Not me. I wish there was a channel that only reported good news. But it wouldn’t get any ratings. Let’s face it. Most people like reading bad news. It’s gives them something to harp on, something to talk about and maybe even makes them feel better knowing that the incident they are reading about isn’t happening to them. Damn, that sounded cynical … Adri over at Darkside Rainbow must be rubbing off on me!

Because I am such a fan of good news, I’m going to institute a new weekly feature here at Lez Keep it Real. Introducing the Good News Moment …

This week’s Good News Moment:
Hooray for gay corporate America!

I work a nine-to-five job at pretty large corporation downtown in which most of my day is spent writing in some shape or form, coming up with catchy taglines and trading witty comments with my co-workers. At work, it’s no secret that I am a lesbian. In fact, I’ve never been one to hide or avoid it.

Now don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t wear rainbow colored socks to work every day, nor do I have a huge rainbow flag waving over my cubicle, flapping in the wind of the air conditioner. What tipped my coworkers off? I don’t know exactly. It might have been that little ditty I wrote for a My View Column published in The Buffalo News in November 2004 about gay marriage, where I basically announced to the entire city that I was, in fact, a lesbian and that I also wanted to get married someday. Shrug. OR it could simply be the fact that I talk openly about who I am and trust that I work with a good group of solid individuals who are all open minded and accepting.

I can’t imagine what my work days would be like if I had to hide my sexuality. The thing is that most of us don’t even have to because the tides of acceptance seem to be shifting once again in our favor.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle ~

he number of U.S. companies whose employment policies received the top rating from a civil rights organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people has risen 41 percent since the group’s last survey in 2006, the association said Monday.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation said 195 companies scored a full 100 points on its most recent annual evaluation, called the Corporate Equality Index, which recognizes employers for offering health insurance to domestic partners, forbidding job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, providing diversity training and other practices.

The companies with perfect grades, which include Fortune 500 members, employ more than 8.3 million workers. When the first of the six surveys was completed in 2002, top marks went to only 13 of the 319 companies rated. Those 13 companies employed 690,000 people.

“More businesses than ever before have recognized the value of a diverse and dedicated workforce,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “More importantly, these employers understand that discrimination against GLBT workers will ultimately hurt their ability to compete in the global marketplace.” READ MORE

So what does this mean exactly? It means diversity works, people! Big-time companies across the country are starting to realize the importance of treating all of their employees with equality and respect. And it is certainly about time.

Part of the reason for the rise in ratings could be attributed to the fact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) issues have been prominent in the media over the past few years and have prompted open discussion in all aspects of life, especially the workplace. LGBT issues that have been highlighted in the media so frequently that lately I find myself caught up in an intellectual discussion over lunch or during an afternoon lull. It’s refreshing to know I can speak freely about my opinions and not have to hold my tongue for fear of what my coworkers might think.

I also think that there are more individuals like me who feel that they have nothing to hide. And because they are honest and open at work, they can help their heterosexual coworkers understand the importance of equal rights and benefits. Then their coworkers no longer see homosexuality as being something foreign or unknown. They can put a face to it and that makes it familiar. It makes it human. And as human beings, we all deserve equal right regardless of our sexuality.

I’m not one to want to climb the corporate ladder. (I’m afraid of heights!) And someday I plan on working full time from home. But for now, I can enjoy the atmosphere at my current place of employment without any fear of discrimination. Just the other day, a coworker of mine wore a shirt that just happened to be colored in a rainbow pattern. She proudly strutted over to my desk and asked me if she could be gay for the day. She wanted to be part of the club. I smiled and said, “Sure!”

After all, who am I to discriminate?

gay corporate america, human rights campaign, joe solmonese, good news moment, san francisco chronicle, darkside rainbow