(no subject)

For the past few months, I've worn a small pin, about the size of a nickel, on the lanyard around my neck at work. It's got the logo of the NO H8 Campaign on it. NO H8 came out of the Proposition 8 debacle in California, but it's taken on a much wider significance, as far as anti-discrimination goes, as you can see by any of the people who make ads for NO H8 and tell you why they support it.

Anyway, I've had this pin on my nametag lanyard for a few months, and I've only ever gotten positive feedback, usually "Like your pin!" and things like that. I have never once spoke to a customer about it. I have never solicited support for gay marriage, for anti-Prop 8 foundations, or anything of the like. In fact, if anyone ever asked about it, I intended merely to say that it was a pin to show my support for equality and against discrimination. Apparently, a woman called the store on Monday and spoke with Cindy, my manager. She said that she saw my pin and was offended by it, because gay marriage is "against her religion." Cindy then told Roberta, the assistant manager, to tell me to take the pin off... which I did.

I checked Borders policies online, and they do have a "non-political stance" that says employess "should not display [their] political views in the workplace." This line comes directly after a comment about how Borders does "not support any political parties or candidates." So even though it seems they are referring specifically to political candidates and not civil rights movements, I admit that bigotted customers could twist the policy to suit their own ends in their crusade against my NOH8 pin. So fine, I won't wear the NOH8 pin, even though we hold annual charities to support our troops, which is rather political in my opinion.

However, I am very angry at the gall of the customer who called to complain. As I said, I never solicited anything. I never evangelized or disseminated information. I simply had on a pin that suggest we all hate a little less. And what did that customer do? She brought on the hate. Of course.

After I took off the pin tonight, I nearly cried. I felt tears well up in my eyes. I felt like they had won, you know? I felt like I had been forced into silence, like I had to shut up so another woman's religion could speak up. I wanted to fight it, but because of Borders' "non-political stance," I knew I would be standing on shaky ground from the get-go. So I'm not going to wear my NOH8 pin. (Sorry, Adam Bouska, and all the thousands of gay couples who want the same rights and benefits straight couples get.)

But I'm not going to be silenced. I'm not going to be cowed by their homophobia. I'm pulling out my rainbow pin, and I'm going to wear it proudly on that lanyard, and customers can complain 'til their hearts are content, but if my manager even suggests I take it off, I'm speaking up, much louder than a simple LiveJournal or facebook post. Borders does have very strict anti-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation and protect against "any other conduct that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment." Furthermore, if she asks me to take off my rainbow pin, I'm going to ask her (and all the other associates) to take off their wedding rings and any crucifixes they may have around their neck or in their ears. After all, a wedding ring and a cross are quite literally exactly like my rainbow pin: statements of identity. And if I can't be who I am proud to be, then neither can they.