There is nothing complicated about ending discrimination in the workplace! Whether the discrimination is against people of colour, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religious beliefs – there is no place for it in the workplace. So why are American companies finding it so difficult to end discrimination against the LGBTQ community in the workplace? Could it be because many people still consider homosexuality a deviant behaviour and a choice people make? Or is it simply because of peoples religious beliefs?
Writing as a human being who happens to be a homosexual, I don’t believe that I woke up one day and said, “I think I will try to have intercourse with a man today.” I also didn’t ask for the constant bullying and verbal assaults by being called ‘faggot’, ‘gaylord’, ‘cocksucker’, ‘poof’, just to name a few. I didn’t instigate it when a group of guys drove by and whipped bottles at me from their car just because I was walking in the ‘gay village’. I would want to ensure this type of behaviour did not transfer into my work environment, why would I not be allowed this type of protection.
As a human being – I do my best to treat people as how I want to be treated; with respect, dignity and kindness, that isn’t too much to ask. I give the same treatment that is given to me. I can’t believe that so many people are still biased and show so much hate towards people who are no different than they are. We may have different appearances but we are all derived from the same divine entity. Religion is not the authority and should not dictate how a person should be treated. You can’t ostracize women, people of colour, those who practice different religions or have different spiritual practices, homosexuals or anyone else who challenges religious ideologies – we should embrace this. Engage in dialogue and come to a resolution that we are essentially the same and want to create positive change everywhere. Those who feel different may have issues they need to resolve within themselves – racism, anger, fear, homophobia, etc.
The civil rights movement began because people of colour were being mistreated, disrespected and killed just because of the colour of their skin. Rosa Parks didn’t sit at the front of the bus because her legs were tired – she sat at the front because she was tired of being treated as a lesser human than everyone else who wasn’t of colour. Martin Luther King Jr., Mohammed Gandhi, Representative John Lewis, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harriett Tubman and so many others were activists for peace, equality, justice and positive change.
Just like the civil rights movement, there have been many individuals who are directly and indirectly responsible in demanding equality for the LGBTQ community. People like Barney Frank, Dan Savage, Michelangelo Signorile, Tennessee Williams, Oscar Wilde, Roseanne Barr, Madonna, Cher, Harvey Milk, Tony Reis, Rosie O’Donnell, Bob Brown, Sven Robinson, Li Yinhe, Rama Yade, Magnus Hirschfeld, Shaleen Rakesh, Arsham Parsi, Patria Jiménez, Nikolay Alexeyev, David Kato, Jeremy Bentham – these individuals, and so many more, have given so much (even their lives) to ensure that gays, lesbians, trans-gendered, bisexual and queer people are treated with equality, dignity and respect.
Try not to look at people based on their colour, gender, what they believe or who they love. Judge them based on their actions and how they treat others. Do they show compassion, are they respectful and non-judgmental and are they caring? LOVE, COMPASSION and CARING are attributes that create positive change in the world so let’s start a REVOLUTION OF LOVE!
COALITION OF POSITIVE ENERGY 