There’s an interesting case going on in Seattle these days. A public employee who’s a white conservative Christian is acting as a real-life troll–e.g., he became a member of the organization’s Black Employees’ Association, and they can’t stop him because of nondiscriminatory practices–and has now sued the city to force them to release the names of the members of the GLBT organization.
The city attorney has agreed that the guy has the law on his side, because it’s a public organization and therefore the membership records also need to be available to the public. Article 1 (and a similar one from the other local paper) Update
I agree that the records should be released, but I think that troll dude is a bit confused about what the spirit of being a Christian is supposed to be.
Interesting- just being on that list wouldn’t necessarily list the person as being non-heterosexual. It’s the GLBTQF organization- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Friends organization.
I hate to say it, but I think that the guy is despicable but probably right. The city is discriminating against him in not allowing him to use the same city resources for his homosexual-to-heterosexual group.
Bolding mine. If that’s truly his intent, why does he need to know who the members are? It should be sufficient to ask or compel the city to confirm that the group exists. It sounds like he’s just looking for an excuse to make people uncomfortable, and he thinks he’s found a clever and convenient way to do so.
I’d like to see him show that he (or his organization) has actually followed proper procedure for establishing an ex-gay city employees group, as he claims, before doing anything to remedy his claim that they were unjustly denied.
Finally, this is an excellent example of why I, personally, would never join any employer-sponsored affinity group if it involved anything I had any hope or desire to keep private. A private employer is under no obligation to respect your privacy, even if they agreed to do so, and a public employer may be obligated to expose you.
This is why I rather suspect that no one is actually going to be “outed” by this. Odds are good that anyone who joins a group like that is probably already out. I do wonder what this jackass plans to do with this list of names once he gets them, though.
I suspect he will sign all those folks up for a “Free Stress Test!” from Scientology. Therefore, causing them to get decades of mail, tons of phone calls and basically have to change their names and move to a small island in the middle of the Pacific in order to escape them.
I noted that the only thing the city has to do is release the names of the people in this organization, and like appleciders mentioned, the group includes “friends” of LGBTQ.
If the organization itself were withholding the information, then there may have been a problem, and releasing the information would let this issue die quietly.
Hand the names over to fellow True Believers no doubt, for harassment, assault, and possibly murder. And in the latter case, he’ll be shocked - SHOCKED - that it went that far.
Honestly, I think he’ll approach them to tell them about everything his “ex-gay” associates have to offer them. And when someone complains and points out that he claimed he didn’t intend to harass GLBTQF group members, he’ll insist that he’s not harassing anyone, he’s just trying to exercise his religious beliefs and First Amendment rights.:rolleyes:
Because yeah, this guy’s a troll, and an evangelical troll and an anti-gay troll at that, and I can’t imagine anything someone like this would enjoy more than an excuse to go around deliberately pissing off his co-workers while being able to wave his hands, saying “Nyah, nyah, can’t touch me!”
I confess to being wryly amused to be on the same side as DT here, but in point of fact, I’ve been involved in arguments at another, Christian board. Accotding to my opponents, things like the Day of Silence and curricula supporting acceptance of diversity are to be opposed as Condoning Abominable Gay Sex and Promoting the Nefarious Gay Agenda, which must be denounced by All True Christians – but the consequence of bullying and violence against gay kids or kids of gay parents is Not Intended. (And water runs downhill, but Praise God, it’ll never hit bottom!)
(May I be permitted a :rolleyes: agianst non SDMB members here?)
I have a slightly different take on the larger issue: why is a government entity supporting private clubs in any manner? Permitting clubs among employees would seem to be fine, but providing money for their recreation allowances and so forth seems to be an invitation for abuse, particualrly when the government agency has not merely a right but a responsibility to act as a gatekeeper for such oragnizations, permitting some while denying others. (King County Employees in Support of NAMBLA, anyone?)
Yes, there is an inherent liability to supporting a club, but I’d assume that there’s some sort of advantage for the company - better worker morale, perhaps?
I think I’d be rather tempted to join the club, out myself as a member of it, show the guy my much-loved, male husband (I’m female), my active membership in a local church and say, “Take your best shot.” I’d even enjoy another game of Duelling Bible Verses if he wanted to play it.
Someone needs to make it clear to this guy that not all Christians agree with him and that some of us happen to believe harassing people violates the Commandment Christ gave us, that silly one about “Love your neighbor as yourself” and is therefore sinful. Unfortunately, moving to Seattle’s a bit impractical at the moment.
About 20 years ago I was part of my corporations “friends” group. The purpose of the friends group was twofold…where people did not want to be outed (this was 20 years ago) we provided cover. And technically, there weren’t two membership lists - you really couldn’t tell who was gay and who was a friend by looking at the membership list. Some people were out, some were unquestionably straight, and some didn’t choose to identify.
I would have hoped we’d moved past needing “cover” - but it does accomplish the task and its easy to provide.
As a gay male I have mixed feeling, but frankly gays can’t have it both ways. When a black person looks in the mirror he says “Gee I’m black and if that’s gonna handicap me, I better learn to deal with it.”
Gays need to learn to adapt as well. Sometimes when you say you’re gay, you get a bad deal. I’ve lost jobs because of it, but I didn’t lose my dignity, something my closeted friends can’t say. And no matter how much more money and further are they are in their careers, they can’t buy that at any price.
Unfortunately with celebrities like Clay Aiken, Rosie O’Donnell, Lance Bass and George Michael and the rest, the lesson is hide in the closet till your safely on a pile of money. THEN come out.
I’ll reserve my congratulations for someone who deserves a pat on the back.
This is when the members of the GLBTQI&A group need to start lobbying, quietly, and get all the employees – regardless of orientation – who oppose the troll, to join the group. Blow the numbers sky high, 30, 40, 50% of the entire employee base. Muddy the waters.
Yeah, definately a sneaky, disturbed course of action on the “troll’s” part, but it leaps to mind…WTF in Seattle gives a crap? Does the “troll” expect some massive public outcry against those outed? :rolleyes:
