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Saturday, Nov 21, 2009
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Discrimination and Joe the teacher |
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| Discrimination and Joe the teacher | ||
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by Mark Segal -
Courtesy of the Philadelphia Gay News There's a litany of legislation our community needs from the new Congress and Obama administration this January - the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," changing rules and regulations at departments that still keep us as second-class citizens, all important. But the first item on the agenda should be employment equality. A few months ago, I received a call from a teacher in a suburb of Philadelphia. Let's say the man's name is Joe, as in Joe Six-pack. Joe was an average guy, the suburban guy next door. He had a home, a family (partner of many years) and a steady job. He loved his work and the place where he worked loved him back: Joe was a teacher at the same school for 13 years. And for most of those years, he had been named "teacher of the year." Joe enjoyed teaching and had a great relationship with his fellow teachers. He had been looking forward to heading back there last September, but instead received a call from the principal telling him he was discharged after 13 years of outstanding employment. He thought it was a joke and laughed. Then the principal told him he was serious. Joe, in total disbelief, asked why. The principal, without hesitation, told him that the school had discovered that he was a homosexual and that his orientation would not be conducive for teaching children. Joe called for legal help in nearby Philadelphia, but our nondiscrimination law only covers our city. Then he turned to New Hope, only 20 minutes from his former school and known as a progressive town. Same story. Joe is like many Gays and Lesbians who are in the closet, and his reasons for that closet are obvious here. He lost his job, and it was legal to fire him - there is no law protecting him from discrimination, as there is for age, race, religion, nationality, etc. And Joe is not alone: There are 30 states, including Pennsylvania, that do not give their citizens any legal protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. That leaves out millions of LGBT people. That is why our first priority should be passing the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act. If approved, it will offer Joe and all of us - in or out of the closet - protection from discrimination in the workplace. Nondiscrimination is a basic building block of civil rights. Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com. |
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