Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: notesfiles
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!acf4!greenber
From: greenber@acf4.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.motss
Subject: Re: "Gay Rights"
Message-ID: <11300001@acf4.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 13-Nov-84 13:29:00 EST
Article-I.D.: acf4.11300001
Posted: Tue Nov 13 13:29:00 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 15-Nov-84 01:40:15 EST
References: <214@usfbobo.UUCP>
Organization: New York University
Lines: 49
Nf-ID: #R:usfbobo:-21400:acf4:11300001:000:2493
Nf-From: acf4!greenber    Nov 13 13:29:00 1984

<>

This is the first time I'm posting to net.motss, so if I break some
protocol, tell me gently...ok???

Now I've been watching what's been going on here for a while and, frankly,
Brunson has a point.  (Alright, I'll put my asbetos suit on!).  Now, I don't
say I agree with him...I just say he has a point.

And here is a true to life situation.  You tell me what you would have
done:

I had a VERY nice contract with a fellow out in New Jersey (on the other
side of the river, I've been told!).  He required one full-time contract
programmer at his site for about three months.  So I showed him the resume
of a very good programmer who has worked for me in the past, and he said:
"Great!! This guy is just what I need...when can he start?".  So my programmer
was hired to go out there and do the job.  He was out there for about
three hours when the client calls up and starts complaining loudly that
he "doesn't need no fruits" working for him.  So I asked him "Why...what's
wrong....did he do something, ah, that you're uncomfortable with?".

The client merely said that no matter how qualified the guy was, he didn't
want any homosexuals working for him.  Although he didn't put it quite so
politely.  Now the programmer, Ralph, happens to be overtly gay, and perhaps
a bit flamboyant about it, but he does excellent work.  I had a choice:
Push a point and lose $9,000 profit, or just tell poor Ralph that he has
to go BECAUSE HE IS GAY.  Which would you do??

I choose to pull Ralph off the assignment.  I have no problem with the
fact the Ralph is gay (although I'm not  ---  but some of my friends are :-) ).
But I have a problem with losing $9,000.

Now, before you flame at me:  Forget your sexual orientation.  What would
you have done.  Been noble and lost the money?  And was that guy wrong??
It was his money, and he does have the right not to have persons working
for him that would cause problems FOR ANY REASON with him.  I don't like
the client, but I feel that he does have that right.  And if he told me
that he wanted me to pull the new person off the project  (just for a laugh:
Toni is a qualified programmer -- and a lesbian!!) for any reason including,
but not limited to, that he didn't like the color of her eyes, I'd probably
pull Toni off the account, too.  Nobility is nice, but it doesn't pay
the rent.

Now if you want to flame at me, please do it by mail.  Then I'll
summarize as needed.


Ross M. Greenberg  @ NYU   ---->  allegra!cmcl2!acf4!greenber  <----