Discrimination in the Workplace There Is Presently

Discrimination in the Workplace

There is presently much controversy with regard to discrimination in the workplace and recent events concerning gay rights have raised public awareness concerning biased thinking in the workplace. The moment when voters in California voted Prop. 8 to outlaw same sex marriages produced serious uproar among gay individuals in the area who were already married and among the U.S. pro-same-sex marriages community in general. This made it possible for the world to understand that the contemporary society is not as unbiased as it previously seemed to be.

As a person living in Los Angeles, I expected that people here would be far more accepting toward gay people in comparison to individuals in other areas. Even with this, I have seen numerous cases involving persons in the workplace expressing biased thinking toward gay colleagues. Stereotypes continue to dominate present-day attitudes and it is going to be long before a gay person will actually be able to integrate the social order without being discriminated on account of his or her sexual preferences.

Todd has been with the company for five years and most persons in the workplace were acquainted with his sexual orientation. While he was treated as an equal for most of this time, last week I came across my manager expressing reluctance with regard to promoting him on account of how his 'characteristics' made it difficult for him to impose himself as a leader. The manager continued to emphasize the fact that he would not be able to inspire people because he was not 'normal' enough. While I respected my manager until that time I immediately realized that he felt inclined to consider stereotypes when making the decision not to promote Todd and I became saddened with the fact that a person whom I knew as being objective could not refrain from discriminating Todd because of his sexual preferences.

The fact that workplace discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity is very common in the contemporary U.S. is also reflected by the recent Senate vote meant to advance a strategy that would ban such behaviors. "The 61-30 procedural vote does not necessarily predict the final outcome, expected later this week. But statements of support from Republicans ensured that the bill known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act could attract the necessary 60 votes to overcome any additional procedural hurdles." (Memoli) This is truly a remarkable victory experienced by gay individuals and their supporters in the U.S., taking into account the numerous occasions when these people can rise against their oppressors as a consequence of the law being passed.