Monday, July 13, 2009

What a Waste

We talk about competitiveness all the time – on the global market, with other states, and with the business across the street. Yet this country wastes a huge amount of talent when it comes to the LGBT community. Highly competent, qualified people are turned away from jobs or fired when employers become aware of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Twenty states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia have realized the harm they are doing to their states and banned employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Thirteen of these also protect transgender people.

462 of the Fortune 500 companies, including all 27 of those headquartered in Pennsylvania, also have nondiscrimination polices that include sexual orientation.

According to Shari Slate, Chief Diversity Officer for Sun Microsystems, Inc.
"Corporate success is driven by the innovative and enterprising spirit of communities of employees. A diverse workforce that represents a variety of perspectives is essential to meeting the demands of our global customers."

Adds Heyward Bell, Chief Diversity Officer for Raytheon
“Over the next ten years we’re going to need anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000 new employees. We can’t afford to turn our back on anyone in the talent pool.”

Neither Pennsylvania nor the federal government has caught on to what is so obvious to so many other states and companies. We continue to allow workplace discrimination against the LGBT community, despite the fact that it hurts our businesses and the ability of the state to attract and retain young people, who are more likely to desire diversity and inclusiveness in the places they live and work.

Here is one story of a highly qualified candidate who was actually chosen for a job – until her employer learned she was transgender. (To hear another personal story of discrimination, see our March 10, 2009, post.)



Workplace discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people is not only a violation of American ideals of equality and the civil rights of LGBT people, it also hampers a business’s ability to recruit and retain the best and the brightest employees. Simply put, it’s a waste of talent.

Think it’s past time to end employment discrimination against LGBT people in Pennsylvania? Support PA House Bill 300, which would ban employment discrimination, as well as discrimination in housing and public accommodations.
Write your legislator
Write a letter to the editor
Share your personal story of discrimination
Visit your legislator
Get more information

Becca in Harrisburg

Labels: ,

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

what do you expect, the US is a fascist country!!!!

2:06 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Thats wright & thanks for the information......

___________________
Susana
Get Payday Loan in 4 easy steps

6:07 AM  
Anonymous Elli said...

dyana is right...
great post

3:48 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

People need some financial compensation to develop .......


--
Jenifer
You cannot go wrong on the best security systems

5:51 AM  
Anonymous Grandview Investigations said...

I completely understand the concept behind discrimination, but I think everyone is carrying it a little too far. There is discrimination in housing, but freedom of choice is completely taking a back seat to this policy. I think if you own property, maintain it and pay the taxes, you should have the right to rent the house to whomever you please. Also, in employement. If you own your own company, you should be able to hire whomever you please because in the end, it is you that is sued if there is something wrong. So, with these discrimination laws, you are forced to hire who the government says or within boundaries, but if you are sued, you stand alone and are completely accountable for your professional job.

The American peoples freedom to choose is something that is being phased out by laws like these discrimination laws. My right to choose is being infringed upon by these laws.

11:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Related Information :



Buy Cialis

12:02 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I've worked locations that have gotten a new personal computer method, and was sympathetic. Nevertheless, right after an hour, and no pizza, my sympathy was overtaken by hunger. I phoned back and inquired about my supper. The personnel explained that the buy experienced been lost and agreed to give it to me for free because it was so late. The shipping and delivery driver was apologetic too, stating that he was sorry, that they had a new computer method that they hardly understood as the students hardly understand how to order term paper. I tipped the driver and began to incorporate up the cost of non-coaching for that business. Whether it was misplaced orders because of being on keep also lengthy, or comp'ed pizzas since they have been delivered late, I guessed that it was fairly large, or at the very least higher than the proprietor would have needed.

7:16 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home