There are great writers out there who talk about diversity in the workforce. I just wanted to share with you some of my experiences in the UK where diversity and inclusion were on my mind.
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As the entire world knows, my handbag was stolen on Portobello Road. The bartender was offended on my behalf and let out a string of obscenities. Hey, that’s the British way. When in doubt, be vulgar. When speaking to a pretty American girl about her sorry lot in life, drop the f-bomb.
In his defense of my honor, the gentleman suggested that my purse may have been stolen by a thieving gypsy c*nt.
Whoa, I had never heard that phrase before and I didn’t know what to say.
I generally don’t use the word gypped because it is a derogatory term used to describe behaviors associated with people who hail from the Romani culture. I learned this while attending a course on Holocaust Fiction taught by my favorite professor, Harry Cargas.
A Romani leader from Washington DC spoke to our class and talked about the persecution of gypsies, gays, and Catholics in Western Europe in the 1940s. Actually, the persecution of the Romani population was quite extensive in Europe. The chaos culminated in the extermination of over a million Romani souls in the concentration camps during WWII.
So it was weird to be in London and thinking about Harry Cargas, the persecution of Romani people, and the words thieving gypsy c*nt.
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When I went to the Kensignton police station for an official copy of my report, I was greeted by constables who were educated, thoughtful, and progressive. This was a shock. There I said it. Most cops I know are the least progressive human beings in the world.
I was more surprised when I saw signs in the lobby warning against hate crimes. Specifically, hate crimes against the LGBT community. There was a poster that said LGBT is a FACT. BEING HOMOPHOBIA OR TRANSPHOBIC IS NOT.
Very sensitive and inclusive. You don’t see signs like that in American police stations.
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Then I got back to my hotel room and saw a news report that Gordon Brown, the UK Prime Minister, may be a bully. He allegedly yelled at junior members of his staff. Apparently, the Conservative Party is calling for an inquiry. It’s embarrassing and I think British forgot they were ruled by Churchill.
Or it is? Should a senior-level politician go around yelling at his junior staff? Is that proper?
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We never talk about diversity and/or inclusion on Punk Rock HR because I don’t have a very defined knowledge base or vocabulary in this area. Talk to me and help me tie these threads together — or tell me that there’s no thread to be tied.
How do different cultures approach diversity & inclusion? Do you use the word gypped? How about the word c*nt? What do you think about a police department that is committed to protecting members of the LGBT community? Is that the case in your area? What do you think of politicians who are described as bullies? Is that an issue of inclusion?
Or do you feel like some our sensitivities are overblown?
I’d love to know your thoughts.
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
This is simply the greatest article ever written on the topic of Diversity.
I favor the word inclusion because a fair amount of pre-supposed ‘diversity’ programming has become a means of seperatist thought deduction. I do not like to be catagorized in any way, shape or form and have the genuine intent in my life to act accordingly toward others. If the hate doesn’t exist why provoke it?
Now I remember why I Love Punk Rock HR!
Laurie, you’re freaking me out again. This coincidental thought wave matching sh*t has got to stop. 5mins ago, I was literally wading thru collection of articles when I came upon one on diversity & affirmative action. I remember saving it eons ago partly b/c I felt I didn’t really know the facts about such, despite the ballyhoo about it by those for & against. Then I start reading my blog newsers & I see this.
So check it out the article: http://changethis.com/5.AffirmativeAction
(explains premises of diversity/affirmative initiatives in a bid to argue why they should stay)
BTW, not surprised @ yer lovely bartender’s reaction. I find that in Western Europe, discrimination is so culturally woven that in most cases, people weren’t even trying to be offensive; shoo, they were just being their culturally programmed selves. Imagine the fun when they actually decide to get insulting.
Hmmm…British television shows and movies never seem to have an issue with having Gay characters or interracial couples. It’s normal, everyday life to them, BECAUSE IT IS NORMAL EVERYDAY LIFE! America is a little behind the times on that front, I am sad to say. I haven’t seen as many foreign films in the past few years as I used to so I can’t make any judgments on other countries. Politicians that are bullies should be recognized as such. Some cultures don’t tolerate bullying. Sadly, America seems to. Our government, as well as our airwaves are loaded with bullies and no one cares here. But the Brits care and I applaud them for this. The Brits have always had the stereotype of being polite, tolerant and proper. That being said they can swear with the best of them. In creative ways I might add. I have learned some interesting cuss phrases from my Brit husband.
Okay this diversity thing brings to mind a conversation I just had last night with a Gay friend. He was telling me how his brother and sister in law were joking about their son being Gay (he isn’t). I asked if that would be a problem for them and he said “probably”. I then said that if I were to ever have a child and it was homosexual it would not be a problem in the least except for the fact that the child/adult would have to endure an awful lot of crap because he/she was gay. That would hurt me too. Having had many homosexual friends from an early age and seeing the BS they have had to put up with makes me incredibly angry. But then I feel angry to see anyone get bullied or picked on because they are different, whether it’s race, sexual preference, body type, etc. So YAY for the Brits for exposing their bullies!
BTW, thanks for the tip on the word “gypped” – hadn’t realized the connection, although I’m aware of the much understated history of discrimination against Romanis.
I sometimes use “twat” but when I do, I usually project it as “miniscule idiot”, thus tend to forget the origin of the word!
Gordo must be quite the bully, b/c the head of the workplace bullying hotline also confirmed in the news that they had received a significant # of calls from people working in the PM office & area…
@HRHooligan It’s really interesting that you brought up TV and how LGBT people are portrayed in media. Television/media is one of the things I often write about, and I think there’s a big direct correlation between how we the general public see people on TV, and how we perceive them IRL.
I may be gay, but I don’t want to queer eye anyone’s wardrobe, nor do I wish to enter a fashion designing contest, rock some hair (other than my own, which left my head long ago) or redesign anyone’s home. (I’d like to sit on my couch, complain and drink red wine. Where is my show?)
But those images really seem to inform what people see about gay men. Exhibit A: Sassy Gay Friend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnvgq8STMGM
And of course this is hardly limited to LGBT people. We have the Sassy Woman of Color ™ in many media images too. As if that’s the sum and total of women of color.
It’s a complicated discussion re: the workplace. We could talk about how more women are in the corporate world today, but is that diversity, or the fact that the company is filling jobs with women who are being paid less than men?
At the end of the day, I want to be in a meritocracy where my kick-ass work comes first, and the p’s and q’s of who I am are noticed and accepted, but don’t define who I am or my career path.
PS Laurie – I’d love to say that I never use the C word, but I am ashamed to admit that it is used extremely sparingly, and usually only when Ann Coulter appears on my TV screen.
This a sample size of one. Would you find the same level tolerance from other Police departments in England – especially in the more economically depressed areas?
There are Police Departments in the US that foster improved relations with the Gay-Lesbian community. I suspect in the US & UK the level of support will greatly vary from location to location
As I always say, words only have the power that we give them. To the English, the C-word is not that bad of a word. Of course in America, it’s the worst word you can use.
I think we sometimes go too far in our efforts to try and remember every single thing that might offend one person or one group. Don’t get me wrong – I am not talking about words like the n-word or using words such as queer.
My nephew committed suicide. When people say something like, I just wanted to kill myself, I know that they are not trying to be insensitive about suicide and how that has impacted my family personally.
It’s depressing but true, that the words “thieving” and “gypsy” are very often paired. Not just in the UK, but also in mainland Europe. I’m not sure why this prejudice has endured longer than other forms of racial prejudice, but here these examples of racial slurs are spoken almost casually – and hardly ever challenged. We’ve got a long way to go…
Having spent sometime in UK (Scotland to be exact) consulting earlier this year, one of the major pieces that shocked me was the first and foremost, police officers (at least in Scotland) do not carry weapons. They believe first and foremost in using non-violent means first. This gets to @SalesComp piece.
Secondly, the support that all of the governments of the UK (Northern Ireland, Scotland and England) provides was tremendous. We stumbled in many of the same posters that Laurie found all over Aberdeen. Members of our teams have said they had never felt so comfortable walking down the street (either as a racial minority or open LGBT).
It was truly eye opening to hear and see the reactions our teams had. While here in the States, states are slowly “recognizing” gay marriages that are legal in other states. Domestic Partner benefits still cost some companies more in premiums since insurance companies view domestic partners to be a higher risk health wise as opposed to heterosexual married couples.
respect for differences comes in different ways, places, and levels. there is rampant discrimination and intolerance here and in the uk…and in other countries. the uk has had a history of intolerance for lower class and for “pakis,” as two prime examples. we are *all* making strikes and we *all* have a long way to go.
sorry your time in london was not smooth. it’s a fabulous city.
f
I read “The Scotsman” newsletter every day— and from what I can tell from the average Scot, Brown has a very bad public image in general, and with the economy still in bad shape, he isn’t ripping the banks a new one like people want here in America with Obama– so he’s on his way out and frustrated. He’s officially disgruntled. Sorry old chap—
About diversity and tolerance— I remember a blog thread that asked “Why does Africa have such a bad reputation around the world concerning emails and spam??” My answer was “Next time I get an email with an automatic virus that destroys my hard drive, while I watch and can do nothing about it, that ISN’T from Nigeria/Africa– I’ll let you know.” Too many people holding on to stereotypes that stay ingrained into our psychies— and the police are supposed to be tolerant– but there’s plenty of stereotyping going on behind the scenes– just ask the German’s and the Turkish— the Turk’s are constantly getting bullied and have to look over thier shoulder’s all the time. (I read Speigel online as well).
@Patrick Erwin – Have you heard the NOFX song Yer Wrong? I think you would enjoy it. They share the same sentiment in regards to Ann Coulter as both you and I do.
@Laurie – Thanks for sharing the picture of the anti-hate crimes poster. It amazes me how some people really seem to understand oppression and discrimination and work to end it, while others can’t seem to understand anything that doesn’t appear to directly affect them.
@Emily – Two things: One, I’ll have to check that song out. I’m sure it’s on Ann’s iPod too!
And the last line of your post – about people who can’t understand anything that doesn’t appear to directly affect them – is the best, clearest description of what non-diversity is. Sometimes it’s not hatefulness or evil that makes that behavior happen – it’s a complete lack of awareness of how other people live their lives in the world.
I’m a queer woman of color. Which means I am often treated as the One True Voice and Answerer of All Things About Minorities.
Which annoys the ever-living HECK out of me. Only person I speak for is Mary Sue, yo.
Anyway, the -Ism/-Obia 101 article I reference the most is White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack (PDF) by Peggy McIntosh.
Additional bonus diversity article! The Spoon Theory (PDF) by Christine Miserandino offers a perspective on invisible disabilities, the ones that don’t have visual cues (her web site is ButYouDontLookSick.com).
@David I like diversity, actually, but I see how the semantics can offend some people. Good comment!
@Geekette You know, we do share a brain. When I lived in London in 1996, I was so young and just oblivious to so much happening around me. Now France is banning burqas and England is a multi-cultural hotbed. So interesting.
@Hooligan It’s good to be anti-bully (& this is a good comment) but this bullying row seems a little silly.
@Geekette2 OMG, I heard my friend Andy Headworth say TWAT but he pronounces it differently and I repeated it for clarification — like, “Did you just say Twat?” — and then blushed.
@Patrick I loved the sassy gay man who talks to Ophelia because it seemed to mock two stereotypes: the sassy gay friend and the emo chick who wants to kill herself for a boy. Also, I’ve used cunt but I’m usually very upset and/or very drunk. And I don’t say it often.
@Salescomp My life is a sample size of one.
@Angela OMG, wow, I always say that I want to kill myself. Hm. No wonder Derrida loved language. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstruction
@Clare Word.
@Fran I love London, too, despite the passport probs. My second home. But this was a surreal trip. I appreciate your support and warmth, too. I could feel it through your tweets.
@Ben Whoa, interesting. Good comment and great first-person account of your experiences.
@MattyMat You are absolutely fascinating to me. Did you know this? I don’t blame Nigerians for the scams. I blame the oil companies who are ruining that country.
@Emily
@Mary Sue thanks for those links. What, you don’t have the answer to queer and minority issues? Sheesh.
Eep, I’m gone for a few days and I miss a bunch of posts!
For British humor and cursing, I highly recommend the movie “In The Loop.” It’s hysterical, especially if you’re a political junkie.
I think it’s hard NOT to discriminate. When I heard my cousin was confronted in the inner city not too long ago, I assumed it was by African Americans. They were Hispanic, I found out several months later, but why did I assume they were African Americans? They could’ve been white. Or Asian. Or Native American. It was a stupid thought, and not one I articulated, but one I didn’t even consider it until I realized that my presumption was wrong and how I came to that conclusion was racist.
That being said, my favorite math professors were blonds. They taught me Calculus and Differential Equations.
@Geekette Being of a similar mind as Laurie isn’t a bad thing, I don’t think.
@Laurie I’m sorry to hear about everything. If you sucked I wouldn’t read your posts.
I am British .. there I said it !
I think most of us would have been offended and shocked at the bar tender, thats not everyday language here, so I hope you don’t think its the same everywhere in the UK. The further north you go, the friendlier the people (thats a contentious statement here btw!).
The police service in the UK had a tough time in the late nineties due to a terrible incident where a young boy lost his life and it resulted in a number of the larger forces declaring themselves as suffering from “institutional Racism”. It was a bold move and meant that all the services (over 50 of them) have had to tackle perceptions surrounding equality and diversity. It’s by no means there yet, we are all in HR so know things don’t disappear but its a completely different environment in the police service and in fact across the whole public sector, than it was some years ago.
In the UK, gypsy and travellers are one of the most disadvantaged groups and where people’s attitudes may have outwardly changed to those from visible minority backgrounds, travellers, and gypsies still get a lot of stick. Attitudes towards LGBT communities are slowly changing, as are those towards in the other strands and it depends on location as to what degree of issue there is with things. Everyday we horror stories but where in the world dont you hear them! It makes our HR issues over here interesting!
Sorry to go on and I hope you dont mind the comments. Great blog though!
i just saw that i had a major typo in my comment – it was supposed to be “strides” not “strikes.” meaning, we’re all making progress, but we’ve still a way to go. oops!
f
Laurie,
You really did have an eventful trip to London!
Can I just apologise for making you blush during our track at TRU London! The word in question (while obviously having literal meaning), is meant to mean ‘idiot’, ‘prat’ or alike. It wasn’t until after our track did the realisation of the true definition occur to me! >>>Transatlantic learnings!
I have had a similar issue with the word ‘pants’. We use it as a similar word to ‘rubbish’ – in ‘that’s a load of……’ No wonder Animal thought I was strange by referring to something he said as ‘pants’!!
Take care
Andy
I have to say I love Harry Cargas. What a brilliant and compassionate mind.
I found England to be so much more accepting of differences when we were there in 07. Things that would have caused a riot here — like signs in more than one language — weren’t even noteworthy there. I love the sign you shared — I really feel like the GLBT community is the last “safe” prejudice for so many people, especially in the bible belt. If you cloak yourself in the bible and the American Flag while espousing bigotry, it seems to make it okay for some people. But I remember learning from Mr. Cargas how many horrible ways that was used during the Holocaust and from the leaders of my church how many horrible ways it was used in this country to keep African Americans from having equal rights.
And I hate the word cunt, so I use it only when there is absolutely no better choice. But I have heard my dear, sweet grandmother call one of my other grandmothers that before.
Thanks Laurie – you got me thinking on this one. This might be a great opportunity for a book…
We could list ten to 20 “truths” of universal appeal – that most, if not all of us share no matter what our past, present or future circumstances are:
1. to be appreciated
2. to treat others the way we would like to be treated
3. to be admired
4. to not be humiliated
5. to not be publically chewed out for something stupid we’ve done
6. ….
maybe we can get some other peeps to add to this list…
Wouldn’t it be great to have a list of dos and don’ts for all cultures, orientations, religions, sexes, etc that have been researched and studied. These would be simple guidelines…surely the simplicity would offend some. Likely, the majority of us would read the applicable segment prior to a business or other trip and keep ourselves out of hot water…
It could be called the “Diversity and Universal Respect Guidebook”. Or “When in Rome, Do as the Romans” ??
As far a swearing goes – it is a part of my vocabulary like any other words. These “swears” help me to remain sane and help me to blow off collected steam – otherwise burst. I do my best to “perform” in isolation or with good friends who really don’t give a s_it whether I swear or not. Its just part of language and used for emphasis – nothing more. If I do it in private or with those who aren’t offended – who gives a dam. I imagine if the word c_nt is thrown my way, it would be breaking one of the universal truths above…there again its just a freakin word and part of vocabulary and I’ll get over it!
xoxo
….and so very sorry about your purse – yucko violated feeling.
For the record, I WAS married to a US “officer of the law” – I haven’t had a good experience with that occupation nor the peeps in it ever and hope that one day I’ll be pleasantly surprised. There is any chance that I marry one again…you know the definition of insanity….lol
We have an LGBT police unit in Washington, DC. They are very active not only in the DC police force but also in the community. I applaud their efforts (as well as the efforts of all other police and firefighters) every day!
@Laurie Thanks— and you’re fascinating to me as well—!!
For the record— the oil companies are only walking through the doors opened by corrupted politicians— it’s a world greed party!!