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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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Posted on 01/18/2003 8:03:09 AM PST by Malichi
This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows. To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30550
Friday, January 17, 2003
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corporations proud of 'gay' politics Magazine honors 5 firms for promoting homosexuality
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: January 17, 2003 10:45 p.m. Eastern
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com Out magazine is honoring five corporations this month for their aggressive sponsorship of homosexuality and promotion of "gay" and transgender politics, reports the Culture and Family Institute.
Anheuser-Busch, Kodak, ChevronTexaco, Wells Fargo and Philip Morris Companies Inc. were given space in the magazine, which celebrates "gay" and lesbian life, to make statements describing their commitment to homosexuals. The statements are printed in a two-page layout that includes company logos, according to the C&F report.
"For more than a quarter of a century, Anheuser-Busch has been guided by the motto, 'Making Friends Is Our Business,'" begins the statement by the maker of Budweiser and Bud Light beers.
"By placing importance on people and relationships, Anheuser-Busch fosters an environment free of discrimination, regardless of sexual orientation," the statement continues. "Anheuser-Busch's relationship with the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community was founded upon this guiding principle more than 20 years ago, and the company continues its commitment by offering a variety of same-sex domestic partner benefits and partnering with national organizations such as American Foundation for AIDS Research (AMFAR), the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC)."
The beer maker also touted its sponsorship of the International Gay Rodeo Association, a variety of local Pride events and a gospel outreach to people struggling with homosexuality. It has set up a special website where it lists pro-"gay" activities.
Under the logo for the "Kodak Global Diversity Office," Kodak's statement described the company as "firmly committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace" and listed domestic partner benefits and sponsorship of homosexual organizations as ways it includes and supports the GLBT community.
One 23-year-old former employee knows just how seriously Kodak takes its commitment to diversity.
As WorldNetDaily reported, Rolf Szabo, who worked as a millwright at Kodak's world headquarters in Rochester, N.Y., was fired after objecting to a pro-homosexual memo.
His supervisor's e-mail regarding the Human Rights Campaign's annual "Coming Out Day" read:
Today, Oct. 11, is the Human Rights Campaign's 15th annual National Coming Out Day for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered. If one of your employees elects to "come out" at work, there are several things you can do to help that person feel comfortable in sharing his/her orientation in the workplace:
Be supportive of the individual who wishes to share this information.
Acknowledge his/her courage to publicly share this personal information.
Respect the individual's privacy. Understand how broadly he/she wishes the information to be shared.
Acknowledge your level of awareness of this topic, and share your personal willingness to understand. What can supervisors do in the work environment to support their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees who wish to be "out" to their supervisor or co-workers?
Be sensitive to the employee's language in defining their personal orientation.
Support the employee in displaying appropriate personal photos in the work setting.
Recognize and respect that not all (gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered) employees find it OK to be out at work. They should not be questioned or harassed about their sexual orientation.
Act quickly and responsibly if any anti-gay humor or negative comments are made in the workplace. A footnote referencing the last two suggestions reads:
Keep in mind that such behaviors violate Kodak's Values as well as Kodak's Equal Opportunity Employment Policy, which all supervisors are responsible for maintaining in their areas. Specific examples are cited in your "Call to Action" training materials. Reported violations of this policy are to be thoroughly investigated. If verified, disciplinary action is to be taken. The response by Szabo was brief, but it was dispatched to all recipients of the original e-mail, some 1,000 Kodak employees:
Please do not send this type of information to me anymore, as I find it disgusting and offensive. Thank you,
Rolf Szabo
Shortly after that e-mailed comment, Szabo says another memo from manager Randy Bakel was sent to all of the workers, apologizing for Szabo's remarks:
As you all know, our strategic thrust to build a Winning & Inclusive Culture drives us to behave in ways that value everyone regardless of differences. While I understand that we are all free to have our own personal beliefs, when we come to the Kodak workplace, our behaviors must align with the Kodak Values. I apologize for the e-mail sent to all of you from Rolf Szabo this morning. Rolf's comments are hurtful to our employees, friends and family members who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. This behavior is not aligned with the Kodak Values and, therefore, is not acceptable. Szabo tells WorldNetDaily he was asked to sign an ECP – an employee commitment plan – saying he was sorry for what he had written and outlining steps to make sure a similar incident would not recur. When he asked what the alternative to signing it was, he was informed "termination."
"I would not submit and cave in to their trying to browbeat me into a confession," said Szabo, who is looking for legal advice before telling more details of his story.
ChevronTexaco bills itself as a "leader in pro-homosexual activism among oil companies" and pronounces, "We were the first major U.S. oil company to add 'sexual orientation' to its worldwide nondiscrimination policies. And in April 1997, we announced a wide range of domestic-partner benefits for our employees, including medical and dental coverage, dependent life insurance, relocation, bereavement leave and family medical leave. This is the way we do business – the ChevronTexaco way."
Wells Fargo features a photo of a horse-drawn stagecoach, with the caption: "The Next Stage. Diversity. Opportunity. Community."
"Someday, as corporations that honor marriage and family are hounded out of business or prosecuted, it will be accurate to say: 'This was brought to you by the executives of Anheuser-Busch, Kodak, ChevronTexaco, Wells Fargo, Philip Morris Companies Inc., and other corporations that promoted perversity for short-term gain,' said C&F's Robert Knight.
One corporation that may be disappointed to be passed over in Out's feature is Motorola.
As WorldNetDaily reported, MotoPride, a website bearing the Motorola logo and corporate tagline lauds the "unconditional" support of the management team for the homosexual community. Visitors to the website can offer feedback by clicking on a link labeled, "Be Heard! Tell us what you think about Motorola's relationship to the community."
The site also provides a timeline of "significant milestones" reached at Motorola. These include:
1993 Motorola launches the Gay, Bisexual, and Lesbian employee network GABLE-NET to foster discussion of GLBT issues in the workplace.
1994 Mandatory Homophobia in the Workplace workshops are conducted in Plantation, Florida.
1996 Motorola adds sexual orientation to its U.S. non-discrimination policy.
1998 Motorola holds "Homophobia in the Workplace" workshops in Austin, Texas.
1999 U.S. bereavement policy is amended to include same-sex partners of Gay and Lesbian employees.
1999 Motorola celebrates its first Gay and Lesbian Awareness Day in Austin, Texas and Phoenix, Ariz.
2000 Motorola adds same-gender domestic partner health and dental benefits for U.S. employees.
2002 Lunch and learn series at Motorola locations nationwide.
2002 Motorola partners with Gay.com, PlanetOut.com and the Advocate to celebrate Gay Pride Month with the MotoPRIDE Campaign, supporting pride festivals and events across the nation.
"We are proud of Motorola's growing history with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community, including its support of our internal GLBT employee group and organizations that are important to us," write Bob Williams and Audrey Lin, co-leaders of Motorola's Gay & Lesbian Business Council in a letter posted on the website.
But not all Motorolans are proud. "Homophobia" workshops, homosexual sex education courses and e-mail recruitment for "gay-pride" parades are creating tension among employees at the billion-dollar global communications company.
Engineers describe a "quiet anger" among many non-homosexual employees who support the traditional definition of the family over the homosexual activism supported by corporate management "under the guise of ... diversity."
"White male Motorolans often joke about forming a club, website, or common activity," said the engineer.
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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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BTW, where's Disney on this list? I'll bet the [Bath]House That Mickey Built is angry it's @$$ wasn't covered in this spread (puns intended).
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