Oh Mary, please! You should know better. Ohio Mayor resigns after gay slur...

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buginme2:

Did you know that in 30 states it is still legal to fire someone for being gay? You can be fired for being transgendered in 39.

States that protect LGBT people against discrimination based on sexual orientation? (States with an * also prohibit discrimination based on gender expression and identity)
•California*
•Colorado*
•Connecticut
•Hawaii
•Illinois*
•Iowa*
•Ohio*
•Maine*
•Maryland
•Massachusetts
•Minnesota*
•Nevada
•New Hampshire
•New Jersey*
•New Mexico*
•New York
•Rhode Island*
•Vermont*
•Washington*
•Wisconsin
•District of Columbia*

Funny how >>NOT ONE<< of the states that prohibits discrimination is red and/or in the south.

It absolutely enrages me that in the US we have still not passed federal legislation prohibiting discrimination in the workplace. Its time to pass ENDA

http://www.aclu.org/hiv-aids_lgbt-rights/employment-non-discrimination-act

killfoile:

--- Quote from: mecch on February 10, 2013, 03:16:05 PM ---78 years old, poor pathetic thing. The lazy, unthinking, self-righteousness and self-entitlement of it all.

I sigh sadly thinking we can only wait for these types of bigots to die off, because there seems no hope of changing minds. Its sad because plenty of people (of all ages) are able to adapt to social change, and plenty others, not.

--- End quote ---

Sadly mecch, I think you are right. I used to think that the environment in which you were reared, condemned folks to think as their parents did or to bow to peer pressure, but no longer. I grew up in Detroit and saw the 1967 riots close up and it wasn't pretty. The reactions of some of my friends families were appalling. Even my own parents used every derogatory remark when referencing others, whether it be due to their national origin, religion, or usually both.

Yet somehow, I never became a racist or bigot and maybe it's due to being gay and understanding the damage that stereotyping can do to a class of people. It's even more than that I think, because I realize that so much of how you are perceived in the world, has nothing to do with anything you did. I know I'm fortunate in life, but a lot of that was determined through genetics, not by me personally. I tend to look at people for who and what they are, because life has taught me that looks can be very deceiving... both good and bad.

Joe

OneTampa:

--- Quote from: killfoile on February 10, 2013, 04:50:54 PM ---Sadly mecch, I think you are right. I used to think that the environment in which you were reared, condemned folks to think as their parents did or to bow to peer pressure, but no longer. I grew up in Detroit and saw the 1967 riots close up and it wasn't pretty. The reactions of some of my friends families were appalling. Even my own parents used every derogatory remark when referencing others, whether it be due to their national origin, religion, or usually both.

Yet somehow, I never became a racist or bigot and maybe it's due to being gay and understanding the damage that stereotyping can do to a class of people. It's even more than that I think, because I realize that so much of how you are perceived in the world, has nothing to do with anything you did. I know I'm fortunate in life, but a lot of that was determined through genetics, not by me personally. I tend to look at people for who and what they are, because life has taught me that looks can be very deceiving... both good and bad.

Joe

--- End quote ---

Joe, as always, your insights into the human condition are stellar. The part of your response that notes that much of how one is perceived has nothing to do with what one has done speaks volumes.

The news report about the biased 78 year old mayor, first name Mary, truly illustrates that maturity, thoughtfulness, compassion, and good sense do not necessarily ripen with chronological age.

wolfter:
A lot of focus has been placed on the negative actions by the mayor instead of the positive actions by the police force and the community.

I've been following this since it was first community acknowledged. The police chief is a relative of mine and his son has been openly gay since highschool. He hired the police officer knowing his sexuality and none of his other officers had issues with it.

The Democratic mayor has only been in office a little over a year and Mark took her to task and made a full report to council regarding the open discrimination she portrayed. As chief, she was his direct boss and he did the right thing regardless. The majority of the community denounced her actions and support the officer.

What's incredible for me is that this is a small rural city with progressive attitudes. A lot of older members of that area are capable of changing attitudes towards homosexuality. I'm living proof of it. I would hate for the world to view my favorite area of the world based on the views of one idiotic resident.

Wolfie

Ann:

--- Quote from: killfoile on February 10, 2013, 04:50:54 PM ---Sadly mecch, I think you are right. I used to think that the environment in which you were reared, condemned folks to think as their parents did or to bow to peer pressure, but no longer. I grew up in Detroit and saw the 1967 riots close up and it wasn't pretty. The reactions of some of my friends families were appalling. Even my own parents used every derogatory remark when referencing others, whether it be due to their national origin, religion, or usually both.

Yet somehow, I never became a racist or bigot and maybe it's due to being gay and understanding the damage that stereotyping can do to a class of people. It's even more than that I think, because I realize that so much of how you are perceived in the world, has nothing to do with anything you did. I know I'm fortunate in life, but a lot of that was determined through genetics, not by me personally. I tend to look at people for who and what they are, because life has taught me that looks can be very deceiving... both good and bad.

Joe

--- End quote ---

I agree with you, Joe. I remember the "Hough Riots" in Cleveland exactly a year before Detroit's "12th Street Riot". It wasn't pretty where I lived either and my family, particularly my mother, said some awful things at the time, and again when the Detroit riot erupted.

I was very young at the time but I remember it vividly, probably because those riots were talked about in my house for years. The Watts riots were discussed frequently too but being even earlier ('65), I don't remember the TV coverage about it like I do the Hough Riots ('66) and the 12th Street Riot ('67).

I never became a racist either, much to my mother's dismay. For a time I questioned her language, but gave up eventually when she stopped replying and just started giving me a slap. I never understood the hate.

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