How Far Would You Go To Support Gay Marriage?
By Rick Clemons. Posted on .
Mike Moroski, 12-year teaching veteran at Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati, is now unemployed because he took a stand and expressed his beliefs about gay marriage. His story made headlines when school administrators fired Moroski for statements supporting the cause on his personal blog.
What might surprise you is that Moroski is heterosexual, Catholic and married to a woman. In other words, he's sticking to his values and lost his job because of it. Speaking on behalf of the gay community, we appreciate your support and hate it when anyone loses friends, family or jobs because of their stance in support of gay issues. Now the question arises: Was it all worth it?
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Is sticking to your values more important than your job? If so, how hard are you willing to fight and what are you willing to give up?This dilemma isn't just about gay issues; it's about human conditions as a whole. For example: Standing up for your religious beliefs, fighting for equal pay for equal work, and believing that no child should be left behind. Yet, in the case of Mr. Moroski and others who've taken the brave stance to support of the gay community at work, there is a price to be paid.
But it doesn't have to be. In fact, more and more companies are adopting highly detailed and specific diversity programs to deal with LGBT discrimination. Many corporations now strive to be included on the yearly index of best places to work by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Over 100 companies, from all industries, appear on this list annually after being rigorously scored against HRC's criteria. This begs the question, What about your workplace? How would it fare if scored by HRC and where would you end up if you came out or showed support for the gay community?
Each of us has our own values that we live by and carefully consider what battles we choose to fight. During those moments of introspection, we often find ourselves wandering down a slippery slope of "What if's?" In reality, without a crystal ball to guide us towards our future, anything is possible. Even with protections in place by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC] which address discrimination based on marital status, political affiliation, status as a parent, sexual orientation or transgender (Gender Identity) status, you or someone you care about may find themselves in a similar situation as Moroski.
Right or wrong isn't necessarily the first question to consider when you decide to wave the rainbow flag from your cubicle or stand your ground in support of gay rights. Here are some other considerations for you to think about:
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1. What do you really want to achieve? Do you want a sense of security? Do you desire for a more "gay-friendly" work environment? Are you simply expressing your beliefs? Regardless of what it is, digging in and knowing exactly why this is important to you will help you stay strong, regardless of the storms that come your way during the journey. Keep reading ...
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