Can a person be fired from their job just for being gay?

[fantome profane]

No it wasn't.
It was a response to a vague "question", implying that you know more about my life than I do.
Which is a very SJW thing to do.
Tom

I honestly did not intend any such implication, nor did I intend to make any statement about your live. I was simply stating that I am not so sure that there are not that many employers who discriminate against gays. Of course you could be right in what you say, but I am not sure.

But I apologize for the vagueness of my post.

 

[Politesse]

My state was one of the first to make this illegal, actually. But you do have to prove that your sexuality was the reason for the firing, and that can be tricky to do. Employers around here have learned to be more savvy about their discrimination.

 

[Smart_Guy]

Like, "are you gay?"
"Yes I am!"
Then I'm fired?

Or doing investigations to find the sexual orientation of the staff and fire those found out to be gay?

Does this really happen? I thought things related to sex have nothing to do with a job! Like, because it has nothing to do with it at all?

 

[JoStories]

What state do you live in?

Are you saying that an employer can fire someone because they find out they are Jewish? Or if they get married to a person of another race?

And what do you think of this?

No one can be fired based on race, sexual orientation, etc, in any state, if one follows the law from like 1980 or so. However, if I am not mistaken there are some states that get around that issue. Where I live; Maine, no one can be fired for any discrimination reason. But one can be fired in states that have at will rules which means someone can be fired for no reason whatsoever. If, however, it is found that they were fired for being Black or gay, they can sue.

 

[JoStories]

Like, "are you gay?"
"Yes I am!"
Then I'm fired?

Or doing investigations to find the sexual orientation of the staff and fire those found out to be gay?

Does this really happen? I thought things related to sex have nothing to do with a job! Like, because it has nothing to do with it at all?

For some people, it is very hard to deny that they are gay. I know my brother in law's sister is gay and it is very clear that she is. Or my cousin, who is very clearly effeminate. But if companies or whatever place one works have things like picnics, etc, and one can bring one's partner or SO, it would be obvious. I have never had to be ashamed of my late partner in any gathering. You would not know I am gay in meeting me but I have never hidden the fact either.

 

[JoStories]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/30/fired-for-being-gay_n_6076492.html

I'm truly stunned right now

I'm not. I traveled for a living before I retired and know first hand the bias I encountered as a gay woman. Particularly in the southeast and I am admitted biased against that area for many reasons, including this one. When I worked in Hawaii, I had to take any and all transgender patients as the nurses there refused to care for them and the administration backed the nurses. In the southeast, it was the same and that also included anyone of color. It sickened me and still does. Anyone stupid enough to believe we live in a free and bias free country is deluding themselves.

 

[Adramelek]

Wtf. That's religious discrimination, though!

Yes I know, I think it is relevant here in regards to discrimination. The last company I worked for fired me for being in their words "demonic", however, they really liked this gay man who worked in the same department. Hey, don't get me wrong, I liked the guy too, he was just a regular hard working man to me. The thing is, to them, I suddenly became this evil, reviled thing I suppose. I could have sued them with the help of the Aquino's as I was a member of the ToS at the time, but decided it was more trouble than it was worth, so I moved on to much better things.

 

[Draka]

No one can be fired based on race, sexual orientation, etc, in any state, if one follows the law from like 1980 or so. However, if I am not mistaken there are some states that get around that issue. Where I live; Maine, no one can be fired for any discrimination reason. But one can be fired in states that have at will rules which means someone can be fired for no reason whatsoever. If, however, it is found that they were fired for being Black or gay, they can sue.

As per U.S. federal laws the only protected categories for anti-discrimination are:

• Race

• Color

• National origin

• Religion

• Sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions)

• Disability

• Age (40 or older)

• Citizenship status

• Genetic information

Anything beyond that is a state decision. So sexual orientation is not a protected status in the U.S. Just in certain states.

 

[Politesse]

Though that may change. If the decision on gay marriage hinged on the idea that the 14th ammendment requires general equality under the law, that certainly sets precedent for a similar case concerning employment. And I think the Court would be able to come to a quicker and more decisive ruling on that one, as commerce is more within the traditional purview of the federal government than family life.

 

[InfiniteZero]

In the place where you live is it legal to fire someone from their job solely for being gay, bisexual, transsexual etc? In other words if the person is a fine employee with no complaints of their job performance, no other reason to fire them, but their employer found out they were gay would it be legal to fire them?

I live in Oklahoma so yes. It happens quite often, actually. Being overtly flamboyant here or trans means you can only work in certain areas.

Second question, what do you think of this? Would you support a law that protects employment rights and prevents people from losing their jobs just because of sexual orientation? Or do you think it is right that someone can lose their job for being gay?

I am biased, being gay, so I can't offer a good perspective here. My response is obviously that I don't think I should have to hide being gay at work.

 

[Skwim]

No one can be fired based on race, sexual orientation, etc, in any state, if one follows the law from like 1980 or so.

What law is this?

 

[Noa]

Yes, there are many states where you can be fired or even evicted for being gay. I used to live in one of those states. I no longer do.

It is very likely that this discrepancy in our system will be fixed within the next generation.

 

[JoStories]

As per U.S. federal laws the only protected categories for anti-discrimination are:

• Race

• Color

• National origin

• Religion

• Sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions)

• Disability

• Age (40 or older)

• Citizenship status

• Genetic information

Anything beyond that is a state decision. So sexual orientation is not a protected status in the U.S. Just in certain states.

All I can say to this is that when I traveled to various hospitals around the country and the world, we had to take a course that required us to accept any and all peoples and if we were to be biased against anyone of color, or sexual orientation, etc, we would be summarily dismissed on the spot. Anti-discrimination acts enforced this. And when I was working in Phoenix about a decade ago, I reported two people who made remarks about gay people. I also reported one man in New Hampshire for showing derogatory and racist pictures of our current president. All of these people were fired. Here in Maine, we have laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

 

[JoStories]

What law is this?

The Federal Equal Opportunity laws.

 

[Noa]

No, it is not currently required federally. Literally anyone can go look this up.

There is a huge portion of the US where you can be fired for being gay and even be evicted for being gay and you have no legal recourse.

 

[psychoslice]

Here in Australia if you were fired for just being gay, you would then be suede, which is the right thing to do.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

No, it is not currently required federally. Literally anyone can go look this up.

There is a huge portion of the US where you can be fired for being gay and even be evicted for being gay and you have no legal recourse.

I'm so glad I'll be in a Blue state before too long (unless I decide to go to Canada).

 

[First Baseman]

Gay people, fornicators, adulterers should not be fired for what they do that does not affect job performance. That's the law and that is right, I think.

 

[Noa]

I'm so glad I'll be in a Blue state before too long (unless I decide to go to Canada).

It is difficult to describe how much more things can improve in some of the blue areas.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It is difficult to describe how much more things can improve in some of the blue areas.

One major improvement will be the job market. The cities I've looked at I'll be able to make 3 to 4 times more money with lots of jobs around, rather than very few that aren't fast food or retail and more than 10 an hour being a rarity.