Kodak Employee Fired For Calling "Coming Out Day" "Offensive and Disgusting"

News Source 13 ^ | October 21, 2002 | Mike Doria

[rochester]

Rochester, NY - A Greece man, who was fired a few days ago from Eastman Kodak, said giving his opinion in an e-mail lead to his termination. Kodak's diversity group sent out an e-mail asking employees to "be supportive" of colleagues who choose to come out on Gay and Lesbian Coming-Out Day. Rolf Szabo replied to the memo telling the company not to send him this type of information and that he found it "disgusting and offensive."

"I said it and I meant it. I'm not going to take it back," Szabo said.

Although Szabo does not condone the gay lifestyle, he said this isn't a gay issue. Rather, he said, it's an issue of Kodak crossing the line via e-mail.

"I don't need this to do my job. It has nothing to do with gay. It could've been any other topic. It's just that enough is enough. We really don't need this to do our jobs," he said.

Szabo said Kodak wanted him to sign a letter admitting he was wrong. He said after he refused, he was fired. A Kodak spokesperson said Kodak won't comment about personnel issues, but did say that any issues related to the treatment of employees are universal.

Szabo, who had been with Kodak for 23 years working with metals, said he'll get legal advice whether his rights were violated.

Labor and Employment attorney Matt Fusco said that he thinks Szabo has very few options and no chance of winning a lawsuit because employers cannot discriminate.

"If an employer goes a step further and promote diversity--you have no right to oppose that policy," Fusco said.

"The Eastman Kodak Company gives me a paycheck; they don't own me. I'll go somewhere else for a paycheck, that's all," Szabo said.

Whether or not he ends up filing a lawsuit, Szabo said he will pursue the issue claiming Kodak is wrong for catering to a select group versus a larger Kodak community.

[eno_]

Back in the late 1980s, Argonne National Laboratory managed to demonstrate how pot messed up one's immune system.

Yeah, but did you hear about the one where Sandia Labs, in collaboration with the Charles Stark Draper Lab and MITRE, (since they were between projects on nukes and IGSs) proved that being a Drug Warrior costs 27 IQ point, causes a jutting brow and sloping forehead, shortens your penis, and makes chicks say "Ewww, a narc?"

[gcruse]

 A Greece man,

He probably finds that
disgusting, too.  If China man
is unPc for Chinese, then
Greece man is for Grecian.

[gcruse]

Kodak makes good film, but film will not be able to
compete with digital photography for much longer.

Kodak film is, for the most part, inferior to Fujifilm.
Without price wars, EK's share of the US market
would be lower than it is now.

[Revolting cat!]

This past summer I found that the German film AGFA is better and less expensive than Kodak. I haven't seen it sold here, except as a store brand, which is perfectly OK, and the film is even less expensive. Usually, store brands don't identify the manufacturer, but this particular one did. I understand that Fuji supplies a lot of store brands. Go Fuji, go Agfa, folks!

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Actually, Shrillary! Care would have made those evil, discriminating HMOs mandatory.

In the midst of the Hitlerycare storm, it was revealed that one company applied for and would get an exemption because their company health care program was considered to work OK already. That was company was Kodak. It seems the President of Kodak is a good friend of Hill.

Maybe Kodak is just trying to weed out the people who will really get irate over their upcoming "bestiality cellebration day".

[Revolting cat!]

But, but, but, wasn't it the Greece men who invented, uh, gaiety? Or was it Rome men from the state of Georgia?

[July 4th]

There's Agfa film as well, which is harder to come by in the US than Kodak or Fuji, but is nice as well. I've personally found it to be the most accurate film I've used, and it doesn't have the harshness of color that some Fuji films can tend to exhibit.

Even though the digital cameras out there are 5+ megapixel now, they still can't match an SLR with a negative scanner. Until that day, I'll be shooting both.

[Hildy]

"If an employer goes a step further and promote diversity--you have no right to oppose that policy," Fusco said.

huh?

[Paulus Invictus]

So why penalize Kodak employes for the management's PC idiocy? The more you use Fuji, the more you help Japan, not American employees! Worse, Kodak has been trying to compete against Fuji for years and Japan makes it nearly impossible by subsidizing Fuji's manufacturing costs. It's hard to beat their prices since they are kept low by the subsidies. Kodak tried to get the US Commerce Dept. to help out, but they refused (another Klintoon anti-American business act).

Kodak has been pressured by "imported" management's policies that never would have been implemented by past Kodak management who were all "up from the ranks" and conservative to the core.

[gitmo]

Kodak's diversity group sent out an e-mail asking employees to "be supportive" of colleagues who choose to come out on Gay and Lesbian Coming-Out Day.

If they see their shadows, do they go back in their holes? Oh. Never mind.

[YoungKentuckyConservative]

I visited Kodak's website and let them know they will NEVER receive another dollar from me. I encourage all FREEPERS to do the same.

F@*# KODAK!!!!

[txzman]

Well simple - for me. Kodak corporately espouses a way of life that is anethema to me, as a Christian. Furthermore they ram it down an employee's throat and allow no expression to 'opt out' or dissent, based on personal conviction.

Bottom line? My money is mine to spend - not American, not Kodak's, not anyone elses. I choose not to buy from those companies which uphold things that I see as detrimental to my beliefs, my country and my children's world. I will probably look for another film company - unfortunately there are not many left.

Kodak has VERY pointedly chosen its road - and I choose to withold my money.

[txzman]

anethema = anathema

[PhilDragoo]

Your link worked:

Contact Kodak

I simply said we'd be buying no more product from Kodak.

[Chemnitz]

I can't remember buying film. I went digital a long time ago. Film is the buggy whip of the 21st century. Yes, we will need a few rolls of film, but not many. Motion pictures are going digital. Our kids will no longer say, "Did you see the film?" Instead, they will say, "Did you see the NV RAM?"

That said, Kodak is completely wrong. The position is that the gay lobby can rub it in the faces of the employees but they cannot object. That is not free speech.

[SkyPilot]

There was an article yesterday about people driving their cars on trips--to avoid the airlines, and one of the men mentioned was a "Diversity Consultant."

Homosexual "consultants" had invaded 2 large companies I knew of off I-495. It if big business to be in this line of work, and a huge scam.

If a company with deep pockets, like Proctor and Gamble, refuse your services or do not have a "diversity" link on their web site, their friends the lawyers move in for the kill. Then, the company usually back tracks and forces their employees to attend these "Equal Opportunity" nightmares. Every employee is treated by the lecturer's least common denominatior--which is: all these people are discriminating bigots, and I have to educate them!

It is disgusting, and vile.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

This campus alone employs over 1,200 hard working Americans. Buying Fuji Photo Film keeps Americans working!!!

I don't care if Fuji was based out of Yemen, I'm not touching a Kodak product ever again. This is filth. How can people in the private sector have their priorities screwed up. This is government agency crapola. You and I will foot the bill post bankruptcy as they are obviously not in business to turn a profit..

[Professional]

Thanks for posting this.

Article speaks for itself. Fokk you Kodak.

No wonder Kodak is a joke on Wall Street. Too busy running around playing diversity nanny to actually make money selling a product.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

I just sent Fujifilm a freepmail and linked this thread. I told them to read it and learn as hundreds of good Americans will be using their product now.

[DouglasKC]

How is announcing national coming out day in an email substanstially different from telling everyone in an email how much you like banging women?