This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
Public disgrace
At the Queen Street Sobeys on July 22, I had the opportunity to overhear two store employees commenting negatively and laughing about other gay Sobeys employees and the Pride parade. These two young men obviously have issues and should learn to be aware
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customer.service@sobeys.comI sent an email already expressing my outrage as this is the location that I frequent also.
customer.service@sobeys.comI sent an email already expressing my outrage as this is the location that I frequent also.
customer.service@sobeys.comI sent an email already expressing my outrage as this is the location that I frequent also.
customer.service@sobeys.comI sent an email already expressing my outrage as this is the location that I frequent also.
stop your crying we all have to listen to all moaning about your lack of rights and all that other crap. You should be happy, since they have the rite to free speech just like yourself. If you don’t like go to another store that’s what I do when I encounter a moaning dripping little stuck up gay waiter. Everybody can’t be perfect in this world maybe you should give it some time or try to educate these homophobes instead of trying to get these employees fired so you can get a job there. Stop whining suck it up princess education is the best method for tolerance.
If you were so upset, why not talk to the manager “right away”? The employees do wear name tags and should be dismissed. Afraid Sobeys will find out you’re gay???
If you were so upset, why not talk to the manager “right away”? The employees do wear name tags and should be dismissed. Afraid Sobeys will find out you’re gay???
Don’t hold your breath my friend. You’ll get a polite FORM letter reply. Your best bet would have been to get the names on those funky tags they wear and report it to the mgr. on the spot. She would have sympathized politely and not done a damn thing about it. Those young men probably have issues with their own sexualty or lack thereof, so don’t sweat it. For what it’s worth, I believe in chaque a sont gout.
boo hoo….it’s still a democracy as far as I know….
Good on ya ‘Bla blah blah’. I agreee. Being able to express one’s opinion where ever they may choose is free speech. Mind you, they should have kept their comments to themselves until after the punched out, that way they have even more right to express their opinions and not be a representative of their employer. And c’mon, why a fucking parade for gay folks? The gay liberation days are over. For those who dont give a flying fuck about anyone’s sexual orientation here’s to ya! Maybe we should have a parade too.
WELCOME TO THE MARITIMES, HOME OF THE CLOSE-MINDED AND LAND OF THE PRMITIVE.
To Don’t Be Hating: How does free speech qualify as hate? Also, what would be wrong with straight people having their own parade?
Those employees shouldn’t have been expressing their negative opinions out loud while at work… and something should have been said to Sobeys. These people need to learn to have some respect for others! Yes, I suppose it is our “right” to say whatever the hell we want, but what happened to common decency? Something you might say for a cheap laugh may cause some serious psychological damage to others. Also, I think we do have a “straight parade” each weekend. It’s called the Palace and the Dome. If anyone else has seen a more blatant expression and celebration of one’s heterosexuality, I would certainly like to know about it.
To the author of ‘public disgrace’. As a Lesbian womyn, who works at the Queen Street Sobeys store, I was shocked to think some of my coworkers actually think in this negative manner; and that they also think so little of themselves, that they would voice their prejudice opinions at their very open place of employment. Please, believe me when I say, many of the store employees were shocked to discover that some of their fellow coworkers were this uneducated about the LGBT community. I need you to contact me, so I may begin to work with my employer, to start a process of sensitivity training, so as to help eliminate homophobia from my workplace. Please email me at lesbianworker@hotmail.com.
Ok. Now its hate. Its always something isnt it…hate, racisim, closed mind. You win. Now here is something else for you to swallow. There are a whole bunch of folks who really, really dont care about gay or straight sexual orientations. It’s like the American/Canadian relationship. We the Don’t Give A Fuck Folks are like the Americans and the Gay Activists are like the Canadians. Canadians worry about what the Americans think of Canadians and Americans dont give a fuck about Canadians. One more thing. I’m not closed minded, a hater or a racisit. I’m just slightly less lazy than everyone else in my boat. I took the time to say what is on everyone’s mind. Enough already. Go colour a rainbow.
Well I’m so glad to see the arse-backwards thinking it so alive in the Maritimes – makes me somewhat sad to know I was born here. Grow up people.The “princess” comments show the mature behaviour we have to put up with in this region.As for why I didn’t complain right away, well its pretty simple. I’m not the best person to file a complaint right after some idiot pisses me off. I figured I’d write the original letter once I’d cooled off and let it handle itself via the talk among employees once it was published. And believe me – management is quite aware of the letter.I’m also game for free speech but can you hear the uproar if I, as a gay person, was overheard commenting on something held dearly by the straight population. You folks would freak.As for a straight parade, go for it! Lots of us would go just to watch all those shirtless straight guys march down the streets. Just the reverse of straight guys taking a side trip to our parade hoping to see some hot lesbian action.And you are mistaken if you think homophobia doesn’t exist anymore. It is very much out there and we can only hope the Maritimes catches up with the rest of Canada in the next 100 years.And finally, the Coast must of edited my orginal submission as the time of the occurence (1pm) and section of the store (produce) was deleted, most likely due to lack of print space.
Let’s see… gay people being told to “suck it up” when they hear Sobey’s staff making inappropriate remarks while working… yet straight folks can be upset when the tables are turned?What a world…http://washingtontimes.com/culture/20060727-112208-7283r.htmGays taunt straight residentsBy Ling LiuASSOCIATED PRESSJuly 28, 2006PROVINCETOWN, Mass. — Heterosexuals in this overwhelmingly homosexual resort town on the tip of Cape Cod are complaining that the oppressed have become the oppressors. Heterosexuals say they have been taunted as “breeders.” One woman who signed a petition against homosexual “marriage” said she was berated as a bigot by a homosexual man. Another signer said that dog excrement was left next to her car, an accusation the town police chief said would be impossible to prove. “The gay community is not immune to having potential prejudices. We’re all human, including gay people,” said Tom Lang, director of knowthyneighbor.org, a nonprofit group that supports homosexual “marriage.” Provincetown, or P-town, has long attracted writers, artists, homosexuals, and is known as a place where people can feel free to be themselves — a seaside version of Greenwich Village. New England’s unofficial homosexual capital has just 3,400 year-round residents, but summer tourism brings nearly 10 times as many people. Locals say the intolerance from those who have long pleaded for tolerance has been stirred, in part, by the dispute regarding Massachusetts becoming the first and only state to legalize homosexual “marriage.” Tensions flared this year after the names and addresses of nearly 5,000 Massachusetts residents — 43 of them from Provincetown — who signed a petition seeking a constitutional amendment against homosexual “marriage” were published on the knowthyneighbor Web site. Earlier this month, a homosexual man got into a shouting match at a grocery store with a woman, calling her a bigot for signing the petition. A week afterward, Police Chief Ted Meyer held a town meeting that drew about 50 people to discuss issues of civility and respect. Chief Meyer said that two other persons who signed the petition felt targeted after the Web site published their names. Tourists have also complained of being called “breeders,” a slur used by homosexuals to describe heterosexuals. Most of the Provincetown residents who signed the petition are members of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, according to the Rev. Henry J. Dahl, pastor at St. Peter’s. The majority of the church’s 750 parishioners are Portuguese families who are not homosexual.
Looks like the winner is…no one. I dont know where to begin. First of all, Clown Puncher you are an idiot, but I can kind of see where you are coming from. Same to you Just Try Princess and the few others like you. The LGBT community you have your rights to defend. Keep fighting the good fight. OK…Pissed Off Gay Customer the question begs: What the hell did they say exactly? The two employees that is? What was so upsetting that you wrote to The Coast to get it off your chest?Secondly, Clown Puncher…where are you coming from with the Canadian/American comments? You copied that from Rick Mercer’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes commentary except he didn’t associate it with the LGBT community.Thirdly, lesbianworker…*sigh*I can hear the moans and groans from your fellow `insensitive` employees and them saying: ‘We gotta do what!? We gotta come in on our day-off to learn about what…sensitivity!?’ Lesbianworker I’m sure you’ll be more than glad to stand at the front of the meeting helping your hijacked boss teach ‘insensitive’ spellings of the ‘gay’ language. Isnt’t it assumed that a lesbian is a woman by default? And do you make it a point to include womyn with a Y after you mention lesbian everytime? Also, why are you so ‘shocked’ to learn about your fellow employees thinking so negatively? If you are so shocked than maybe they have been sensitive enough to keep thier personal thoughts hidden from you…which they were doing until Pissed Off Gay Customer overheard them. Maybe you should enroll in some DE-sensitive training yourself.Oh and just one more thing, wouldn’t it be just dandy to learn it was actaully YOU lesbianworker who was being talked about. HA!How do I apply to the Queen St. Sobeys? This little drama is really heating up. I don’t want to miss a thing.
Sobey’s needs to do sensitivity training on more than just gay rights, they need to to make their employees aware that they are in the customer service industry and we are ALL valued clients and need to be treated as so. This is after 3 employees at the herring cove road location thought it would be funny to scare and embarass my 8 yr old son. After I had bought him a movie form their bin and paid for the lady handed it to him so he sould carry it in his arms and 3 employees with nothing better to do standing around the customer service desk decided it would be fun to watch store security chase him after they swiped an unpaid movie through the exit security bars as he was passing through. I was jsut in front and he was just behind me as I had stopped for a copy of the coast adn caught it all happening out of the corner of my eye. I was livid as the 3 kids stood there hooting and pointing saying that was fucking funny man…as i watched the bewildered look of panic come across my son’s face the kid was lucky I decided to be responsible and not slap him when the urge struck. I figured management would take care of it for me but when I talked to management I got a run around from them saying well they were jsut checking the price to it was an accident to you can’t prove it. So I informed sobeys that I know what customer service is and will go where I am treated with great customer service. SO I now take pleasure in knowing that there are 7 more people in this city that will never shop at sobeys again. Maybe if more people started shopping elsewhere sobeys would get the hint and ensure their employees know what customer service is about.
As the original writer I want to thank the Queen Street Sobeys for taking my concern as seriously as they did. After sitting down with the store manager last weekend, I can feel comfortable knowing that a similar incident is unlikely to occur and that the store is proud to have a diverse group when it comes to customers and the staff members. One thing I discovered about management at this store is that they want to hear feedback from their customers and will work to make the store a place where customers want to do their shopping.