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.

[Lancey Howard]

"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.

I like this guy.

By the way, as a customer, I find Kodak to be a very sick and disgusting company, what with them promoting anal sex between men and everything. I go through one or two digital cameras per year in my job, and I will no longer purchase their products. They are fired.

[DLfromthedesert]

Thank you for the addy. I gave them a piece of my mind!!

[Lancey Howard]

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.

Boy, does this lawyer sound like a wet noodle, or what?
He's probably a would-be staffer for some liberal scumbag Democrat somewhere, and he sure doesn't want to get involved on the politically incorrect side of this thing, lol. What a wimp.

[Lancey Howard]

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

Thousands, if I can help it.
Bump.

[jwalsh07]

"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.

Right on brother.

I own Kodak digital cameras, I won't be buying any more product from them however.

[handk]

Would someone be kind and post a link to Kodak...

This is a wild guess mind you, but I'm thinking maybe it could be, hmmmm, I don't know, maybe www.kodak.com.

/sarcasm

[weegee]

I'll continue to seek out revival screenings of films. The flickering image from a film print puts your mind into a different state than the hyponotic stobed scanlines of projected/direct view video.

[SkyPilot]

Kodak's Diversity Officer

[apochromat]

I would've thought it was merely bizarre and stupid, but not offensive enough to call it offensive.

[Rockpile]

If Kodak gets a few e-mails from freeper types won't they just laugh them off? OTOH if this was formatted and fact checked etc. and then sent around the country via e-mail trees to a LOT of people maybe there be more chance of wrenching some kind of pro-American attitude out of this PC behemoth.

What do you think?

[Chemnitz]

I love old films. Didn't mean to offend.

[jwalsh07]

My email tree has already sprouted a "boycott Kodak" branch.

[Lilly]

This humble soul needs to be commended. I pray he finds a better paying job also.

Here are a few passages that come to mind:

2 Timothy 3:13-14 "But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them"

1 Corinthians 6:9 "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites"

Matthew 28:18 "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.'"

[river rat]

"I know a guy".... that found a way to get the diversity worms to squirm...

"This guy" believed it was inappropriate to have a "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual" booth at a "Culture Fair" set up on company property to celebrate the food, art, music and costumes from countries around the world - representing the heritage of our large employee population..

"This Guy" called the manager responsible for the "Culture Fair" and inquired as to what country was the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual booth going to represent.... He replied none - he said they are representing their minority community based on sexual preference....

"This guy", then informed him that he was happy to see how liberal his views had become -- and in that spirit informed him that he would like to be granted a booth to celebrate his sexual preference which was bestiality....specifically with pigs. That he would need a medium size booth, fenced -- with straw and water provided...

"This guy" was begged not to follow through... This guy said the only way he would retract his booth application is if they restricted the fair to NATIONAL cultural celebration... He had a ball with the nervous bastards...They didn't dare call his bluff, and weren't smart enough to realize beastiality was illegal..

We have laws to protect animals from perverts...but we can't protect our children.... Go figure..
Semper Fi

[Grampa Dave]

Does anyone have the names of the member of Kodak's board of directors?

They need to be sent the same message and link. Sometimes there may be a couple of sane business people on a board to put some reality into the fairy dusting of a corporation.

[Grampa Dave]

After dinner, my wife was reading our local fishwrap, from which I read the funnies, weather and tide tables and nothing else.

She started laughing and got me another glass of wine and told me to drink half of it as she had an article to show me, and didn't want me stroking out.

After a half of glass of good Kali Merlot, she showed me article. It showed a white Diversity Consultant riding the train. She is usually fairly non political. However, she said the fact that this Diversity Consultant was a white guy, she would bet that he was a Homosexual/Gay Diversity Consultant.

Now I'm reading your reply and I will soon go finish that glass of merlot and go to bed. Looks like you and she are in agreement about a certain Diversity Consultant.

I'm so glad that I'm retired and don't have to be brainwashed to accept perverted life styles as normal.

[Grampa Dave]

Does he work for the EEO of NY or is he a private attorney?

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

This is their response to me after I sent this thread to their customer service. Generic repsonse.More to come

Dear Fujifilm Consumer, Thank you for contacting us at Fujifilm.com. Please be advised that you will be receiving a response from our Consumer Information Service Center as soon as possible. Keep in mind, however, that your e-mail will be addressed in the order in which it was received. If you need immediate assistance, please contact our Consumer Information Help Line at 1-800-800-3854 (9:00AM - 8:00PM Eastern Time). Please do not respond to this e-mail as it has been automatically generated to confirm receipt of your message. Thank you for visiting our website and for your interest in Fujifilm products. Respectfully,

[alrea]

diversity gestapo bump

no surprise that stocks continue to get picked off. just having a "coming out" day at work is enough of a reason to dump a defocused and obviously wasteful company(?).

what percentage of the company is made up of legal staff?

[jude24]

Yes, but a boycott of Kodak will harm thousands of Conservative Christians just like you. The managment is too obtuse to figure out why they ticked off an entire market segment.