Gay employee sues Boulder Whole Foods claiming homophobic abuse

[Boiler 45,673]

http://www.denverpost.com/2016/09/22/boulder-whole-foods-homophobic-abuse-lawsuit/

 

On a routine basis, Jennifer Johnston’s boss at Whole Foods Market in Boulder would ask her whether she thought a certain person in the store was gay.

Her boss had concluded that Johnston, a graphic artist married to a woman, would obviously know who was gay because Johnston could use her “gaydar,” according to a federal employment discrimination lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Denver.

[Teddy B 17,252]

5 minutes ago, Boiler said:

http://www.denverpost.com/2016/09/22/boulder-whole-foods-homophobic-abuse-lawsuit/

 

On a routine basis, Jennifer Johnston’s boss at Whole Foods Market in Boulder would ask her whether she thought a certain person in the store was gay.

Her boss had concluded that Johnston, a graphic artist married to a woman, would obviously know who was gay because Johnston could use her “gaydar,” according to a federal employment discrimination lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Denver.

What a moron this boss is.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

I don't condone discrimination against gays, but would it be unreasonable to think one gay person might have an idea who is and is not.

 

I could ask if someone is gay, and not mean it with any malice or reason of prejudice.  Like is he baptist ? He is Filipino 

[Teddy B 17,252]

7 minutes ago, Nature Boy Flair said:

I don't condone discrimination against gays, but would it be unreasonable to think one gay person might have an idea who is and is not.

 

I could ask if someone is gay, and not mean it with any malice or reason of prejudice.  Like is he baptist ? He is Filipino 

Does being straight make you or I any more qualified in identifying if a person is straight or not? I don't think so, I know I've been surprised to find out someone i thought was straight was actually gay or someone I thought was gay was actually straight. But to be this woman's boss and continuously ask her to use her "gaydar" is way out of line.

Edited February 23, 2017 by Teddy B

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

1 minute ago, Teddy B said:

Does being straight make you or I any more qualified to on identifying if a person is straight or not? I don't think so, I know I've been surprised to find out someone i thought was straight was actually gay or someone I thought was gay was actually straight. But to be this woman's boss and continuously ask her to use her "gaydar" is way out of line.

Did not mean to make light of it, its just that to me being gay is such a non big deal, to me its like asking how you like your burger cooked. 

I do think a gay person might have more of an idea who else around them is gay. 

[Teddy B 17,252]

3 minutes ago, Nature Boy Flair said:

Did not mean to make light of it, its just that to me being gay is such a non big deal, to me its like asking how you like your burger cooked. 

I do think a gay person might have more of an idea who else around them is gay. 

I didn't think you made light of it. I think most people are capable of figuring it out in most cases, not always, but most. I don't think that being gay gives an advantage, no more than being straight. I could be totally wrong, but I don't think there is a tell tale that gay people can see and straight people can't.

[yuna628 9,680]

26 minutes ago, Nature Boy Flair said:

I don't condone discrimination against gays, but would it be unreasonable to think one gay person might have an idea who is and is not.

 

I could ask if someone is gay, and not mean it with any malice or reason of prejudice.  Like is he baptist ? He is Filipino 

I think this is more like the equivalent of asking a fat employee if they knew if a customer is fat or pregnant, and surely the fat employee could tell because they are fat, right? Then later in the week they decide it'd be fun to 'dress' like the employee, by wearing a fatsuit. It's wrong, it's being a moron, and there's most likely a lot of things wrong with that boss that deserve him being fired. What normal decent human being would ever think such behavior was appropriate for the workplace, let alone, anyplace? There's a lot more to the subject of the lawsuit the boss did than just asking inappropriate questions.

Edited February 23, 2017 by yuna628

[Ban Hammer 13,407]

Quote

Much of the abuse, which began in February of 2015, came directly from her supervisor, Tawny Duckworth

best stripper name ever.

[Dakine10 5,452]

2 hours ago, Nature Boy Flair said:

I don't condone discrimination against gays, but would it be unreasonable to think one gay person might have an idea who is and is not.

 

 

  Yes, especially in a workplace setting.

[Boiler 45,673]

Maybe the thing that amused me did not come across, Whole Foods is an upmarket Supermarket particularly loved by Trustafarians and Boulder is totally uptight PC. There are some normal people there, I was there on Tuesday, but it has a reputation for extreme Snowflakery etc.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

22 minutes ago, Dakine10 said:

 

  Yes, especially in a workplace setting.

Yeah I agree. I guess in my world being gay is such a non issue to me, but with all the stuff they have been thru in gaining some semblance of equal treatment, I can see how it might be invasive or seen as a threat  . 

[CaliCat 3,957]

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

Maybe the thing that amused me did not come across, Whole Foods is an upmarket Supermarket particularly loved by Trustafarians and Boulder is totally uptight PC. There are some normal people there, I was there on Tuesday, but it has a reputation for extreme Snowflakery etc.

Sexual harassment has nothing to do with the company or the place. It's connected to the way people make other people feel in the workplace. This would have been a case of harassment even if it had been in another place. Just because you think it's ok doesn't make it ok to the other person. That's why companies spend money training people in cases of sexual harassment. 

[CaliCat 3,957]

1 hour ago, Nature Boy Flair said:

Yeah I agree. I guess in my world being gay is such a non issue to me, but with all the stuff they have been thru in gaining some semblance of equal treatment, I can see how it might be invasive or seen as a threat  . 

 

It would be sexual harassment even if she was not gay. For sexual harassment to take place, you only need the charged environment. If you and a friend are talking about sex in the workplace, and someone else overhears the conversation, that is considered harassment. In this case, any other person in the store could have complained and the result would have been the same.

[Boiler 45,673]

3 minutes ago, CaliCat said:

Sexual harassment has nothing to do with the company or the place. It's connected to the way people make other people feel in the workplace. This would have been a case of harassment even if it had been in another place. Just because you think it's ok doesn't make it ok to the other person. That's why companies spend money training people in cases of sexual harassment. 

I said it was OK? 

[Boiler 45,673]

1 minute ago, CaliCat said:

 

It would be sexual harassment even if she was not gay. For sexual harassment to take place, you only need the charged environment. If you and a friend are talking about sex in the workplace, and someone else overhears the conversation, that is considered harassment. In this case, any other person in the store could have complained and the result would have been the same.

$75,000?