min0 lee

Anyone seen TallCall?

Calling in 'gay' to work is latest form of protest

By LISA LEFF
Associated Press Writer





Documents
California Supreme Court's Ruling on Gay Marriage (May 15, 2008)
Latest News
Calling in 'gay' to work is latest form of protest
Brazil: Possible serial killings target gays

Gay group organizes 'Pink Christmas' in Amsterdam




SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Some same-sex marriage supporters are urging people to "call in gay" Wednesday to show how much the country relies on gays and lesbians, but others question whether it's wise to encourage skipping work given the nation's economic distress. Organizers of "Day Without a Gay" - scheduled to coincide with International Human Rights Day and modeled after similar work stoppages by Latino immigrants - also are encouraging people to perform volunteer work and refrain from spending money.

Sean Hetherington, a West Hollywood comedian and personal trainer, dreamed up the idea with his boyfriend, Aaron Hartzler, after reading online that a few angry gay-rights activists were calling for a daylong strike to protest California voters' passage last month of Proposition 8, which reversed this year's state Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage.

The couple thought it would be more effective and less divisive if people were asked to perform community service instead of staying home with their wallets shut. Dozens of nonprofit agencies, from the National Women's Law Center in Washington to a Methodist church in Fresno collecting food for the homeless, have posted opportunities for volunteers on the couple's Web site.

"We are all for a boycott if that is what brings about a sense of community for people," said Hetherington, 30, who plans to spend Wednesday volunteering at an inner-city school. "You can take away from the economy and give back in other ways."

Hetherington said he's been getting 100 e-mails an hour from people looking for volunteer opportunities, and that his "Day Without a Gay" Web site has gotten 100,000 hits since mid-November.

Despite Hartzler and Hetherington's attempt to fashion a positive approach, some organizers of the street demonstrations that drew massive crowds in many cities last month have been reluctant to embrace the concept, saying that it could be at best impractical and at worst counterproductive to "call in gay."

"It's extra-challenging for people to think about taking off work as a form of protest, given that we are talking about people who may not be out (as gay) at work, and given the current economic situation and job market," said Jules Graves, 38, coordinator of the Colorado Queer Straight Alliance. "There is really not any assurance employers would appreciate it for what it is."

Graves' group nonetheless is arranging for interested participants to volunteer at the local African Community Center in Denver. The agency said it could find projects to keep 20 people busy, but so far only 10 have pledged to show up, said Graves.

Scott Craig, a fifth-grade teacher at Independence Charter School in Philadelphia, had no problem requesting and being granted the day off. So many of the school's 60 teachers were eager to show support for gay rights they had to make sure enough stayed behind to staff classrooms.

About 25 teachers plan to take Wednesday off and to have their work covered by substitutes while they discuss ways to introduce gay issues to their students and volunteer at the local branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, Craig said. A letter telling parents why so many teachers would be out went home Monday.

"We want to get the conversation going in the community that gay is not bad," Craig said. "For kids to hear that in a positive light can be life-changing."

Join The Impact, the online community that launched protests last month over the passage of gay marriage bans in California, Florida and Arizona, has urged people to withdraw $80 from their bank accounts Wednesday to demonstrate gays' spending power, and to devote the time they might otherwise spend watching TV or surfing the Internet to volunteer work.

Witeck-Combs Communications, a public relations firm in Washington that specializes in the gay and lesbian market, published a study this year that estimated that gay and lesbian consumers spend $700 billion annually.

Bob Witeck, the firm's chief executive officer, said it would be difficult to measure the success of Wednesday's strike since gay employees occupy so many fields. And rather than suspending all consumer spending for the day, gay rights supporters would have a bigger impact if they devoted their dollars to gay-friendly businesses year-round, Witeck said.

"Our community leaders who are running book stores, newspapers, flower shops, coffee houses, bars and many, many other things are hurting right now, so paying attention to their needs during this hard time is an effective form of activism," he said.

Hetherington said he has been careful to design A Day Without a Gay - he came up with the name after the film "A Day Without a Mexican" and liked it because it rhymed - so no one feels excluded or threatened.

He has specifically urged high school students not to walk out of their classes and assured college students they won't be disloyal to the cause if they go ahead and take their final exams. He also has listed opportunities - ranging from writing letters to members of Congress about federal gay rights legislation to spreading the word about Wednesday on social networking sites - for gay marriage backers who cannot miss work.

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Day Without A Gay, December 10, 2008

Join the Impact - 1 Million Plus For Equality!

tallcall

I'm still here, I don't pull that pussy-ass bullshit! These people just FAIL at life!

First Place Florida State Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champions - My guys - "Team Brotherhood"

min0 lee

Tomorrow would be a bad day for a straight guy to miss work.

min0 lee

Do you think bi-sexual people get to take half a day?
Just asking.

DOMS

They get half a day.

tallcall

Depends on how they're swinging that day I guess.

First Place Florida State Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champions - My guys - "Team Brotherhood"

ROID

I once masterbated next to a guy.

Shae2K3

Thats sounds right.

There are people who love me and there are people who hate me. I will take care of those people who love me and the rest can burn in hell.

IainDaniel

They better hope the day doesn't go better off without there gay antics around.

YOU'RE FIRED

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

Fetusaurus Rex

How many people do you think went to work very very sick today or will tomorrow or whenever it is? hahahhaahah

no straight person is calling in sick that day

What Would Fetus Do?

Splash Log

The Hispanics were going batshit in my area when all that immigration hoopla was going on and they had a day without a Hispanic or some bullshit like this.

I worked at a country club with dozens of Hispanics and they told them, with a translator, if any of them called out for any reason sans doctors note they would be getting fired. It was so funny, they were so condescending they treated them like elementary students.

DOMS

Yeah, the chewies had a "sick day" early this year. Almost no one noticed and even less cared.

On the up side, car theft was down that day.

maniclion

God help our National Security that day half the Military forces are gonna be AWOL......

"We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Natures inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that."
Thomas Edison: In conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone