[CS-FSLUG] Canadian bank, intimidation?

[Aaron Patrick Lehmann]

I find this oddly similar to the way I've noticed some Christians behave.  "If
you aren't wearing a cross/fish/WWJD, then you must be a non-christian
god-hater."  Is this just the sort of behavior one is to expect from a group
which considers itself to be in minorty, and persecuted (whether or not it is
true)?  I have considered this situation quite a bit, since one of my freinds
is gay.  I do not hate homosexuals.  I also disapprove of governments involving
themselves moral legislation.  By moral legislation, I mean legislation against
a crime that has no quantifiable damage.  Theft is an ethical crime, since
damage to a human agency can be quantified, whereas "hate speech" is a moral
crime, since it seems difficult to quantify the damage done to the victim, and
in some cases, even who the victim is.  Given these feelings, should I display
that rainbow?  I do believe homosexual activity to be a sin, and not something
people should be engaging in.  I also know that if the SS is ever chasing a
homosexual, I will let him or her hide in my closet.  Possibly we should
develope our own sticker.  Possibly with a cross on it, and Jesus' "new
commandment" to love one another on it?  When asked, we could explain that our
religion commands us to love all men and women.  That while we cannot condone
sin, we love sinners, or at least try.

Aaron Lehmann

On Sun, Oct 03, 2004 at 02:08:34PM -0600, R. Thompson wrote:
> Leafing through yesterday's local paper I came across this article.  I
> find this offensive, that some small group within the bank would use
> your fellow employees to intimidate objectors while the bank management
> stands by and either endorses this project, or does nothing.  Here is
> the article (please excsue any typos).
> 
> >From the Prince Albert Daily Herald, Saturday October 2, 2004, page 7.
> 
> "Bank clerks asked to display rainbow sitickers
> Jennifer Kwan, The Canadian Press
> 
> Toronto -  Thousands of Royal Bank clerks are being asked to display
> rainbow stickers at their desks and cubicles to promote a safe work
> environment for gays, lesbians and bisexuals.
> 
>    The rainbow sticker program is being organized by an employee
> diversity group within a department of the bank and targets 2,000 clerks
> at a Royal Bank "warehouse" in Toronto, as well as smaller satellite
> offices in Mississauga and Guelph.
> 
>    The three-month pilot project dubbed "rainbow space" mirrors a
> program known as "space safe" used to promote gay pride at colleges and
> other workplaces in the United States.
> 
>    "During the Nazi regime, a pink triangle was used to label gay men
> and a black trangle was used to label lesbians or tother
> 'anti-socials,'" says a newsletter advocating the use of the rainbow
> stickers.
> 
>    "In the late 1970s, the rainbow flag was developed to represent not
> only pride in having survived and thrived in a world that has often been
> a hostile place, but also pride in the extraordinary diversity of the
> community."
> 
>    Bank spokesman David Moorcroft said Friday the program, launched this
> month, is employee-driven and not part of the company policy.
> 
>    "The program is not going to be rolled out bank-wide," he said.
> 
>    But Moorcraft said the company is open to employee feedback on the
> initiative.
> 
>    The newsletter distrbuted to 2,000 employees states that displaying
> the sticker will show bank employees that homophobia will not be
> tolerated.
> 
>    "Voluntarily displaying this sticker shows gay, lesbian, bisexual and
> transgendered coworkers that they can feel safe with you, and show
> unsupportive co-workers that you won't tolerate homophobia," it states.
> 
>    The head of the Canada Family Action Coalition, a right-wing
> Christian group, says the newsletter implies anyone who doesn't display
> the rainbow is therefore homophobic."
> 
> Ron T.
> -- 
> Ron G. Thompson, |^|
> Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
> www.petomai.org   ron at petomai.org
> "Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their window?" Is
> 60:8
> 
> 
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