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Loading ...Del. agency sorry for saying what not to say
05.01.2009 3:38pm EDT
(Dover, Del.) Delaware’s Transportation Secretary has apologized after a department newsletter on diversity offended minority employees by spelling out many of the slurs that it advised workers not to use.
Carolann Wicks said the Diversity Spotlight newsletter tried to directly address workplace issues by letting employees know what’s not acceptable.The newsletter published a racial epithet often directed at blacks and derogatory terms for homosexuals and Asians, advising people not to use the words. And it specified offensive phrases not to use with lesbian, gay and transgender co-workers, as well as Asian, Hispanic and older employees.
Delaware NAACP President Charles Brittingham says the newsletter went too far but is moving in the right direction.
I wonder if the word “queer” was added to the list of banned words?
If so, how does that square with Gays and Lesbians who identify as “Queer” or “Queer Youth” or use such phrases as “the Queer dollar”; “Queer Politics” or even the social identifier, “GLBTQ community”?
I find the word Queer offensive.
LMAO this is such a funny story!
“Dear Delaware Transportation employees,
Please do not call your fellow employees by derogatory names.
Do not call a gay employee by these names ******, *****, ************, *****.” Lmao I can only imagine what they said!!!
I find the word “queer” offensive when it’s yelled at me or whispered behind my back. Using it in social-economic terms is A-OK in my book. What’s to get offended about? It defines a segment of our community which doesn’t like to be categorized as your run of the mill male or female homosexuals and who tend to reject labels. On the other hand, “queer” encompasses us all. So queer both works and offends; it is both specific and global. But you knew that already, didn’t ya?
Oh, this is rich. It’s just like the blacks and their use of the so called “N” word. “They” can use if for each other, all the time, but don’t let any white person dare to use it to address or demean them . . . or you’ll get your throat slit.
I don’t find the word Queer offensive, any more than I find the word Gay offensive. It’s all in how it used (that’s so gay…). But Queer describes us all, and has the benefit of vowels.
Well David M. Gibson, I certainly didn’t find your comment offensive or misinformed. You only implied that black folks carry knives and will slit your throat. Gee, nothing demeaning about that.
Hey David M. Gibson
Black Man here
1. I do not use the N word
2. I do not allow anyone, Black, White, or Other, to use it in my presence without response
3. I wouldn’t slit your throat…..
Watch out for lumping entire groups into the small, restricted box in your mind.
To the article above, that may have been overkill lol
I’m sorry but I think this is a bit stupid. The point of the letter to employees was to make it clear what terms are not acceptable in the workplace. I don’t see how that is a bad thing. Yes, these slurs that the letter contained, when used in a derogatory way are very offensive, but that wasn’t how they were meant in the letter. They were meant to clarify for all the employees what would and would not be tolerated. It gives the employees a clear message and doesn’t leave much wiggle room for someone to come back later and say that they didn’t know something they said would be considered offensive because the letter was vague and didn’t give any specific examples of what was against the rules.
As a parent I don’t tell my kids that if they brake the rules they will be punished and then not tell them what those rules are. That would be stupid and counterproductive and it would have been just as stupid here. If you want your employees to maintain a standard of behavior you have to educate them fully on what behavior doesn’t measure up.
Certain types of people will plead a total lack of knowledge that these terms are offensive unless you clearly spell it out for them. If people are offended by HR doing this, then they need to stop being so overly PC about name-calling. Mentioning the words in this context is NOT insulting.
As a unionized government employee, I think I could add some general info that might help explain this memo. First, while you have DOT employees who have sense, you’re also talking about a lot of guys who, uh, aren’t exactly as sophisticated as James Bond. Second, I doubt that the memo would’ve contained those words if there hadn’t been prior issues of people using them–and perhaps facing minimal disciplinary action for doing so. Third, if it’s a union setting, there are those times when you have to be brutally explicit about what is and is not allowed. Otherwise, if Joe Meathead’s been dropping the N-bomb for the last 15 years, he could continue to do it (in violation of agency policy and state law) because of the concept of past practice. That has a lot to do with the strength of the union (or the chapter) and the people running the union/chapter.
Finally, the notion that a number of people were really so offended–well, they doth protest too much. If I tell you what not to do, and provide examples which are clearly examples and not limits, then I’ve put you on notice that words and phrases LIKE the ones I’ve presented will ALSO be unacceptable.
Why are they protesting too much? I’m Asian, and if there was a newsletter stating, “Don’t call an Asian a gook.” I’d find it funny. Yeah, it’s an unsophisticated way of saying, “Watch your mouth!” but it does get the message across.
Better newsletter should say, “Know each other. Respect one another.”
anytimg the NAACP gets involved, it just becomes laughable.
words don’t have power unless you give it to them. this letter was clearly meant to help us, but everyone is so on edge about every single thing these days you cant even put out a letter of what NOT to say, without getting in trouble?
gimme a break……. lets find some real news now.
The way to truely rid the culture of all this reactionary crap about words, and to stop being offended by them is to stop giving them power.
This whole article is a great example of how we keep giving power to simple words. You give a word importance you empower it to hurt. That is why years ago we embraced the words queer and dykes!
I don’t see what was bad for them literally spelling out the words that it would be best to avoid. It actually makes sense to me. Now it should probably be mentioned that the “list” is not, by any means, exhaustive and that anything “of the like” should be discouraged, etc. So, rather than rebuke, kudos to them.