Posted on 04/26/2006 12:59:56 PM PDT by DBeers
NEW YORK (FORTUNE) - This spring, shareholders at such big companies as ExxonMobil , Ford and American Express are voting on whether gay and lesbian people deserve protection against discrimination in the workplace.
But even as battles over gay rights flare up in the corporate world, there's no doubt about who's winning the war.
More than 80 percent of companies in the Fortune 500 now ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Some 249 of the Fortune 500 offer health and other benefits to the same-sex partners of their employees. That's up from just 28 a decade ago.
Last year, Wal-Mart , America's biggest employer, agreed to support a network for its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) workers, joining such firms as Citigroup , DuPont and IBM . All these trends are moving in one direction - towards more rights for gay and lesbian people.
This is remarkable, given the setbacks that gay rights have taken in the political arena, especially around the issue of gay marriage.
"Corporate America is ahead of government in providing equal treatment for GLBT people because it knows that fairness is good for business," declares Joe Solmonese, president of Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay and lesbian civil rights group.
For the past four years, the Human Rights Campaign has ranked big companies on gay rights issues. It looks at non-discrimination policies, domestic partner benefits, advertising in gay media, philanthropy and support for gay employee groups. This year, 101 companies received the highest possible 100 percent rating - up from 56 last year and 13 when the survey was first done in 2002.
~SNIP~
(Excerpt) Read more at money.cnn.com ...
You can add LOWES building supply to this list.
It's about pressure and threats of expensive lawsuits.
However when they start pushing gay marriage, teaching homosexuality is "normal" in grade schools, and defining religious beliefs as "hate speech", I draw the line.
Click & Read...
Equal Rights sounds nice; however, it is a moral relative term subjectively and situationally derived. The ambiguousness inherent to the term leaves it open to manipulation e.g. blurring reality by intentionally confusing that which is innately human with the sexual activity that a human being is predisposed to or chooses to engage in...
What makes an individual human is not what they do or do not do -the unalienable God-given rights inherent individuals derive from simply being alive... It is extra or special rights or privileges premised in activities that are being sought by homosexual activists . Rights beyond those that derive from the unalienable.
One must maintain separate innate humanity with human activity to be able to effectively and legitimately confront and oppose those that push for the homosexualization of society.
Only by avoiding the ambiguous -maintaning distinct that which entails human activity from that which entails human being can the questions be legitimately discerned and legitimately answered (something that terms like "equal rights" do not facilitate).
Some specific questions:
1. Does homosexual sex merit extra or special rights or privileges e.g. "partner" tax breaks, "partner" health care?2. Do those that are predisposed to or choose to engage in homosexual sex merit "non discrimination" e.g. should male homosexuals be Boy Scout leaders -should homosexuals be allowed in the Military?
To effectively oppose the homosexualization of society e.g. oppose those that push homosexual marriage, teach homosexuality is "normal" in grade schools, and define religious beliefs as "hate speech" one has to diligently maintain separate that which entails human activity from that which entails human being to even be at the point where one can clearly address both issues inherent to the discussion e.g.:
Being for Human Rights -unalienable; e.g. all individuals as Human Beings merit respect and dignity is clear...Being for just discrimination based upon activity is clear...
Being opposed to an unhealthy activity such as homosexual sex is clear...
Being against any extra or special rights or privileges because one feels predisposed to or chooses to engage in homosexual activity is clear...
Again, "Equal Rights" is unclear and ambiguous (wonder why the left uses the term?)
LOL
/put away soap box
:-)
If equal rights of tax breaks, health care etc were to be given to homosexual couples, then they should logically apply to anyone who chose to refer to themselves as a 'unit'.
This would mean that brothers who choose to live together, or a mother and daughter, a couple of close friends who live together, or any unmarried couple in any form of relationship who decide that they'd like to share domestic responsibilities with each other should be allowed the same rights.
This raises other questions, I guess, but to offer 'rights' only to homos, while not offering the same to any other domestic 'unit' simply doesn't make sense. To put one form of relationship above any other, because it is a sexually perverted relationship...??... errr... I don't follow that logic.
I live with my 'soulmate' (both of us celibate), but I'd never expect our relationship to be treated on equal terms to a married couple.
Anyone can SAY they are a couple.
ha we should be happy that corp america is scamming gays out of their money
Exactly!
That's why I specified that I am for equal rights when it comes to employment and housing..because I don't hate gays or desire they suffer injustices.
However I don't define forcing us to accept "gay marriage" or being made to adopt politically correct beliefs that contradict our religious and moral convictions to be covered under "rights" either.
:-)
Yes, and you are correct. "Equal rights" is a term that is clearly distorted and misapplied by the left and the gay lobby....... ultimately to intrude on the rights of ALL those who disagree with them.
We just can't give them ownership of the phrase.
:-)
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