A rchive Date
[ 20-11-2000 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Canada ]
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Sticking up for gay rights?
The 'safe space' campaign goes too far
By MICHAEL COREN -- For the Toronto Sun
Sat, October 9, 2004
You may have thought that your bank was there just to help you with a mortgage, take care of your money and give you a loan. Not quite.
An employee "diversity group" within the Royal Bank of Canada recently launched a three-month "Rainbow Space" pilot project, described in a newsletter distributed to some 2,000 employees in the Toronto area. The paper makes for fascinating reading:
"This newsletter will be distributed on a regular basis to highlight specific issues related to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered (GLBT) community within RBC, and to highlight the importance of sexual preference as one of RBC's primary diversity elements," it says.
And if you dare complain that all this might be rather a distraction, you might just be a homophobe. Because the newsletter announces the desperate need for the Safe Space Program, "to help foster a safe and inclusive environment for GLBT individuals."
How do I tell my GLBT colleagues that they are safe? Easy. "Display an RBC 'Safe Space' sticker. The sticker was created as a visible, non-threatening way to show that your desk, cubicle, or office is a 'safe place' for gay men, bisexuals, transgendered and lesbians."
How will I recognize the sticker?
"Traditionally, this symbol is comprised of a pink triangle, a widely recognised gay-positive symbol, surrounded by a green circle, the international symbol of acceptance."
Who knew?
But there is more. The newsletter gives helpful hints about making everyone feel just fine and dandy.
"Use inclusive language. Instead of asking if a co-worker is married, ask if they're in a relationship. Terms such as 'significant other' and 'partner' are more inclusive than 'girlfriend' or 'spouse'. Treat the subject positively. When gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues are discussed, make it clear that you are supportive of all aspects of diversity."
One can only imagine how a Muslim, Christian, orthodox Jew or any moral conservative might feel in the face of this. What if they are kind, tolerant people who are generous and open to gay men and women but cannot affirm gay marriage and homosexuality?
Then again, apparently only murderous swine would behave in such a manner.
"During the Nazi regime, a pink triangle was used to label gay men, and a black triangle was used to label lesbians or other anti-socials," the newsletter states. Not true. The Nazis did not arrest women for lesbianism and the black triangle did not have a homosexual connotation.
If you're confused, don't worry. The newsletter has helpful definitions. "Heterosexual orientation: attraction to individuals of the opposite gender." The definition of "gender identity" is "one's internal sense of being male or female." Interesting. If I feel like a woman then I am a woman. What if I feel like a lion, a mouse or the emperor of China?
Have you heard of "two-spirited"? The newsletter explains: "An aboriginal term used to describe people who embody both the male and female spirit. Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered aboriginal people are reclaiming the term." Whew, thank goodness for that. The there are "intersexuals or hermaphrodites." These are "people who are born with genitals of both sexes (ranging in degree); often an infant who is born intersexed will be surgically altered to represent one gender. Unfortunately, this is done before the child has had a chance to express which gender he or she would choose to be."
Those fascist mums and dads! Surely they should wait until junior can walk and talk before interfering with their child's life. As the old nursery rhyme had it, "Mum and dad, do be tender. Let the kids decide their gender."
The group is working hard to make RBC a better place for GLBT. (The bank says the campaign is not part of company policy and will not be rolled out Canada-wide.) If you think that might be a colossal waste of TIME and an absurd spending of other people's MONEY, you might just be a SAIP (Sane and Intelligent Person).
Now I'm off to my safe little space. I've even got my very own sticker.
Michael Coren is a Toronto-based writer and broadcaster. He can be emailed at info@michaelcoren.com and his web site is michaelcoren.com. Letters to the editor should be sent to: editor@tor.sunpub.com
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