This is new...and SICK!

[MNDude]

Recently I did business with MetLife.

As with many large businesses, I had to send them a W-9 and to fill out a vendor questionnaire. The questionnaire contained typical questions like: "Type of commodity/Services the vendor is providing. "Whether MetLife employee/ Ex MetLife employee, etc."

Then at the bottom, the questionnaire says "Whether Minority Owned / Women Owned / Disabled Veterans / LGB-LGBT Owned." Yes, LGB, LGBT, which I'm pretty sure is referring to LESBIAN, GAY, BI, TRANSEXUAL"

I've always been annoyed about having special rights going to the Minority and Women Owned businesses, but from my understanding, these are "disadvantaged businesses" that need extra assistance.

I have a couple of questions I really need answered:

1. I have never heard of any government law(s) federal state making this any criteria for doing business (unlike the minority thing). Does anyone know if there is any laws on the books, or is this something MetLife is doing on their own? If so, I intend to boycott them forever more (although I'll take their money for this or any other sales)

2. It's no secret that the gay community is much more economically prosperous than the average American, so what is the reasoning for giving special advantages to LGBT?

3. When I mentioned we were a small business, we got a response asking to show proof of this. How does one prove themselves to be Gay or Bi?

4. Would one have to physically participate in sexual acts of members of the same sex qualify for these special rights, or would staring at a dude in spandex for ten seconds be enough for their terms?

All I know, is that many times I've been in a rest stop along the highway, I've found writing on the walls that says "be here at 12:30 am at such and such date for (sick sexual act). When I was younger, I thought it was just some pervert joking around. Now I'm pretty sure those bathroom proposals are indeed sincere. It just amazes me these bathroom writers should get any special treatment.

Your thoughts?

[silverleaf]

I’d say start wearing women’s underwear and check “yes” if it gets you the contract

[rightwingextremist1776]

That's GREAT! Now everyone can take advantage of Government sponsored discrimination...just say you are gay...what are they gonna do? How are they going to prove it? Once you get the job who gives a ‘Rats ass?

[RobRoy]

>>I’d say start wearing women’s underwear and check “yes” if it gets you the contract<<

I was thinking the same thing. ;-)

[cardinal4]

Wear a TuTu next time and you’ll get the contract for life..

[glennaro]

Just check “BI” as it’s only a “choice” anyway. Your choice being not to behave as a homosexual.

[VanDeKoik]

What, no pedophile owned option?

[momtothree]

If you want me to help you out, I can write really dirty stuff about you and a phone number on public restroom walls. Just let me know... always willing to help a fellow FReeper. (giggle, giggle)

[Hodar]

I worked for a large computer firm in Texas (rhymes with Smell) that had a big, fat, long haired man, who wore his hair in pigtails, and had pink lace sewn on his overall. Yes, pink lace on Osh-Kosh B’Gosh overalls.

No manager dared speak to him, no one dared look at him. When there were layoffs - he was immune.

You see, tolerance is not enough - ‘Diversity’ MUST be ‘Celebrated’.

[Larry Lucido]

What do you mean, “start”?

[absolootezer0]

so what is the reasoning for giving special advantages to LGBT?

they're loud. same reason any other special class gets benefits. do you really think the country is majority athiest? yet they've removed prayer from schools, there's always talk of removing "under God" from the pledge, or removing "in God we trust from currency," then there's the removal of religious icons from public property, etc. all because a handful of people are loud and obnoxious.

[muir_redwoods]

Don’t fault Metlife for being subject to Public Law 95-507 as amended and “improved” over the years. Any company wanting to do business with the government in any capacity needs to submit a minority and disadvantaged owned business subcontracting plan. For Metlife and other financial institutions, if they want to offer funds for 403b participants, they have to tell the government how much business they do with these companies.

[RetroSexual]

Would one have to physically participate in sexual acts of members of the same sex qualify for these special rights, or would staring at a dude in spandex for ten seconds be enough for their terms?

Always happy to help a fellow FReeper gain a contract:

[MNDude]

ha! would a gagging reaction immediately disqualify me?

[RobRoy]

They almost got what they wanted. But it is sort of like getting everybody aboard the Titanic to go along with your PC, homosexual and other backward and goofy world views.

But alas, we have hit the iceberg. We will be focused on more “pressing” matters by this time next year.

This is a “fun” site:

http://www.alaskaair.com/content/gay-travel.aspx

[Vigilanteman]

It's no secret that the gay community is much more economically prosperous than the average American, so what is the reasoning for giving special advantages to LGBT?

Because they are loud, obnoxious and own the ruling party. Plus, the minority party is too timid to stand up to them and tell them to take a hike.

FWIW, most if not all of these special interest groups have an association which will certify that they are indeed owned by the favored group.

I knew a fellow in a previous life who got all of the local road repair contracts because he set up three front companies-- one owned by a woman, one owned by a black and one owned by an American Indian who bid against each other for contracts. Naturally, they didn't collaborate on the bids and it was just a coincidence that each seemed to win 1/3rd of all jobs.

The same crews and equipment basically did all the work, but he was careful to keep the finances separate so paychecks were issued in the name of whichever company won the particular bid. Plus they would all be careful about reimbursing each company for use of equipment which they did not own.

They even shared the same building and receptionist which, of course, was owned and hired by the white guy and leased to each respective company, all of which had a suite in the same building with the owner on call for cameo appearances as needed.

The associations which certified the sham ownership were, of course, well aware of the sham but certified it anyway. The fellow was smart enough to buy the highest priced membership in each association. He also made sure the respective owners were well taken care of.

[RetroSexual]

ha! would a gagging reaction immediately disqualify me?

They only asked if you're gay, not if you're happy.

[RobRoy]

Here is another “fun” site at Avis. Interestingly, you can not really find it from their home page, but other homosexual sites will redirect you to it. Maybe we need to let the world know what these companies are doing:

http://redirect.avis.com/prouder/?ICID=Redirect&IID=avis.com_prouder&mpch=ads&MID=932-24909-7684-0

[max americana]

>No manager dared speak to him, no one dared look at him. When there were layoffs - he was immune.<

I’ll beat yours and raise it. The final straw why we became our independent group and broke away from our parent company...

Years ago, we were working for an entertainment group which catered to the studios. We had a co-worker whom we hated because he was the known slacker of the bunch. He was BLACK, GROSSLY OVERWEIGHT and CUSSED like a sailor. Heck, he even back-stabbed me and another dude just to kiss-ass to the supervisor.

He had a stroke (most probably due to the snacks he kept eating)and was hospitalized. When the pink slips came in eventually, the hard working and smart ones in the departments were axed and after months out of work, I met the same guys at a resto and told me that the a-hole was still working there. There is no justice in this world.

[PapaBear3625]

Any company wanting to do business with the government in any capacity needs to submit a minority and disadvantaged owned business subcontracting plan. For Metlife and other financial institutions, if they want to offer funds for 403b participants, they have to tell the government how much business they do with these companies.

In which case, it is to the advantage of any vendor to check "Yes" to "LGB-LGBT Owned", and claim you are Bi. How are they going to prove you're not? This way, they can say they checked the right boxes, and also get a competent vendor.

There are times I regret not marrying a certain Egyptian (Copt) girl I knew. She could legitimately claim being African-American (Egypt is in Africa), be the official owner of the business, hey we would have cleaned up.