Gays & Lesbians Need Not Apply
Dateline: 08/07/98
Darden Restaurant, parent company of the Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Bahama Breeze restaurant chains, certainly has a right to want to be able to fire an employee simply because they are gay. But the law in Illinois, where the issue has recently arisen, is that they cannot do so. And one of the rights that so many of us are working for is the simple protection that we cannot be fired from our job merely because of our orientation.
(I must say, I enjoyed leaving my comment on why I thought the Darden stock would be going down - feel free to leave yours.)
As reported by the Washington Blade:
"Darden Restaurants is going to court to try and get Cook County's (Illinois) human rights ordinance -- which prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, and other categories, in matters of employment, housing, public accommodations and credit transactions -- declared unconstitutional. Their action comes in response to an order from the Cook County Human Rights Commission that they reinstate a Gay employee who was repeatedly ridiculed and eventually fired because of his sexual orientation.The restaurant is not trying to claim that it did not discriminate - it is acknowledging that it *did* discriminate, and that civil rights laws which prevent them from acting on their bigotry are unconstitutional!
Think about it....
People can't be fired merely because of their gender.
People of various races cannot be fired because they are of a certain race.
People of various religions cannot be fired because they are of a certain religion.
People from countries other than the United States cannot be fired because they were not born in the United States.But in many places people can still be fired because of their orientation. There are no protections in place.
ENDA would put an end to this on a national basis, but to date insufficient support has been found to ensure passage.
(Next time somebody suggests that gays and lesbians want "special" rights - ask them how they'd like to be fired from their job simply because their employer found out that they were straight. When they say, "But that couldn't happen!" your response should be, "Exactly.")
Red Lobster has recently been advertising a special offering a dinner of "30 Shrimp for $9.99." It's a super deal. If I don't feel like all shrimp, I can "mix and match" from any number of dishes for $12.99. The meals are wonderful, and filling. My family and I have dined at Red Lobster three times in the past month.
And we won't be going back.
And we will be letting them know why.
Olive Garden has excellent employee benefits, but no where do I see domestic partner benefits. Of course, they don't need them. Their parent corporation would allow them - want them - to fire any gay or lesbian employees. It's really too bad. Olive Garden, like Red Lobster, has an excellent menu, at good prices. We've eaten there, and had planned to return. (Ironically, the Olive Garden "motto" is, "When you're here, you're family.")
But no, we won't be going back.
And we will be letting them know why.
Am I trying to organize a boycott? Not really. If you want to eat at a restaurant that wouldn't hire you, that's your choice.
But I'm going to call my local restaurants, let them know why I won't be returning, and ask that they pass my message up the corporate ladder. If you'd like to do the same, don't hesitate to use the "locators" so nicely provided for Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Bahama Breeze to find your local restaurants.
In
pride,
Deborah
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