Posted on 07/02/2003 10:08:52 PM PDT by TheEaglehasLanded
Wal-Mart Announces New Gay Policy Wednesday, 2 July 2003
SEATTLE -- Wal-Mart Stores, the nation's largest private employer, has broadened its corporate anti-bias policy to include gay and lesbian workers, the company announced Tuesday.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Mona Williams said that the company implemented the changes because "It's the right thing to do for our employees. We want all of our associates to feel they are valued and treated with respect — no exceptions."
The decision was disclosed by a Seattle gay rights foundation that had invested in Wal-Mart and then lobbied the company for two years to make its discrimination policies more inclusive.
A spokeswoman told The New York Times on Tuesday that Wal-Mart had already sent out letters Tuesday to its 3,500 stores, after which store managers would explain the change to its 1.5 million employees.
Along with prodding from groups, such as the Pride Foundation, the spokeswoman said several gay employees wrote senior management about six weeks ago to say they would "continue to feel excluded" unless Wal-Mart changed its policies.
With the change announced by Wal-Mart this week, 9 of the 10 largest Fortune 500 companies now have rules barring discrimination against gay employees, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
Activists will now press for DP health benefits.
The exception is the Exxon Mobil Corporation, which was created in 1999 after Exxon acquired Mobil, and then revoked a Mobil policy that provided medical benefits to partners of gay employees, as well as a policy that included sexual orientation as a category of prohibited discrimination.
Wal-Mart said it currently had no plans to extend medical benefits to domestic partners.
Though no one directly linked the company decision to the Thursday's Supreme Court ruling against the country's sodomy laws, it certainly didn't hurt.
"A major argument against equal benefits, against fair treatment of employees, has been taken away," said Kevin Cathcart of Lambda Legal. "And so even within corporations it's a very different dialogue today, a very different dialogue."
There is no federal law prohibiting discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation, but 13 states, the District of Columbia and several hundred towns, cities and counties have such legal protections in place for public and private employees.
Wal-Mart's new policy reads in part: "We affirm our commitment and pledge our support to equal opportunity employment for all qualified persons, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability or status as a veteran or sexual orientation."
Congratulations! You just accurately described homosexual activists!
Sure! Open the doors to more widespread drug use and death!
Speaking of which....
End Patriot Act.
I guess the sight of those planes being flown into the World Trade Center, and the buildings subsequently falling wasn't enough for you.
Removal of all three strikes laws.
Sounds good to me. What I despise about three strikes laws is you have to be caught and convicted three times before you get a sentence that's worth a damn. So how about the crimes you commit and don't get caught with? That's why I support a mandatory death sentence for all murderers, life without parole for sex offenders. One strike, and you're out.
You can click HERE to post a message to Wal-mart, asking them to reverse this anti-family policy.
Signed, a Proud "fundie" (latest liberal word to trash conservatives...appears regularly on the DirtyUnderpants website)
And your evidence that gays want to FORCE ME to be gay is?
The Constitution says freedom of religion, not from it. That means as an American, I have the right to practice my religion whereever, and whenever I please.
Don't like that? Too bad. Go to another country that does not allow religion, like China. In fact, you can have yourself a great big anti-religion cakewalk right through Tianamen Square if you want to.
Want to make it an issue? Go right ahead. See how quickly the Thomas More Law Center or the American Center for Law and Justice comes knocking on your door, with legal precedent in one hand.
I wouldn't be so sure. I found myself in NW Arkansas about 9 years ago, and got a job with the Levi Strauss plant. I was flabbergasted to learn that they extended healthcare benefits to "domestic partners". The HR rep just gave me jaw-clenching smile and reminded me that their headquarters was in San Francisco.
And if rednecks stop going to WalMart, how will they furnish their homes?
How do they do this? I shop Walmart and have never seen anything to indicate this.
So you don't think anyone else is affected by these actions? If so, your view of the world is pretty narrow.
Two people of the same gender going at it is hardly a moral right.
However, I do agree that the government should keep its nose out of bedrooms where consenting adults are concerned. (Of course, that does not mean gay marriage should be made legal.)
That's not what this is about.
This is about a lifestyle based completely on sex, moving out of the bedrooms, into the street, telling people we will accept them, not leaving an option for those who disagree.
This is about a small group of people who want "equal" rights, not based on their being Americans (to which they already have those rights), but on their sexual behavior.
This is about a group of people who wish to teach their behavior in public schools, without the knowledge and consent of the students' parents.
This is about a group of people whose activist efforts include an organization that supports, endorses and encourages the sexual abuse of children.
As my tagline says, if it is indeed just about what two consenting adults do in their bedroom, why aren't they content to keep it there?
You fail to understand the point that was being made, it seems. It isn't about 'forcing' anyone to be gay (although they do their fair share of 'recruiting' among the young), it's about forcing you and me and everyone else to 'celebrate' gayness with them, to accept homo sex as perfectly natural.
You seemed to be implying similar actions regarding this 'small loud group of busybodies' you referred to.
Understand now?
Wal-Mart said, you can't do that. It doesn't say that you have to go watch Liza Minelli movies with your gay co-worker, share insurance benefits with their "special friend", it just said that you can not be abusive to them. I really think you get this, but you oppose it. You find it offensive that a private company has demanded people to get along while they are on the company clock. You can boycott Wal-Mart for this policy as you like. But let's be perfectly clear on what is and isn't there policy. They are not giving benefits, not giving quotas, not giving special promotions, none of that.
Incorrect. Only on public property, your own property or With the permission of the owner of whatever private property you are standing on.
Wal-Mart is private property.
If they say so, you have to stop or leave.
All employees should be treated equally and with respect. We should not discriminate against people. Walmart is not giving special rights to gays. They aren't extending health benefits to gays partners. They are acknowledging that gays should have the same rights against discrimination as black, hispanics, handicapped and anyone else.
So why should we single out people to discriminate against? The answer is.... WE SHOULDN'T!
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