snowy

I can't speak for sweetpea and her situation, but I can say my aunt, who is a lesbian, has faced discrimination at work for her sexuality in the past. She has worked in corrections and at a 911 call center--the job at the call center did not last because when her coworkers figured out she was a lesbian she was completely ostracized and her boss made it a living hell for her to go to work. As for her work in corrections, she has come up against some who disagree with her lifestyle--including one boss in the Washington state system who refused to promote my aunt despite the fact she had 1) passed the exam for the next level of officer, and 2) had the experience and recommendations to justify her promotion. My aunt had to finally leave the Washington system entirely and seek out work in another state--where thankfully things have been much better. Now, my aunt does not advertise at work that she is gay yet she has faced a lot of discrimination for it.

Some of you may claim that our country is now comfortable with two women or two men holding hands as they walk down the street. I would argue that that is completely relative to location--there are plenty of towns here in the PacNW where you wouldn't catch my aunt and her wife holding hands--and they're both super-tough chicks. Sure, maybe in Portland or Corvallis or Eugene--but Albany? Salem even? Not bloody likely. I know two guys here at Oregon State who used to date and regularly held hands as they walked through the dining halls--and they were spit on for it. But they kept doing it as a message to others that intolerance would not be tolerated. But I think that's an attitude that the younger generation are taking and not necessarily people who have been out for a while--they've had to deal with discrimination too much for too long to invite it upon themselves willingly.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau