speaking of heterosexual privilege...
This morning I got up early and attended the training put on by the campus Pride Center for "The Welcoming Project." It was designed for "straight but not narrow" allies and friends of GBLTQ students, to sensitize them to queer issues and give them some tools to provide a safe space for kids to talk.
Frankly, I'm not sure I should have gone. Hearing all these smug straight white men say "it never occurred to me" that every social message approves of hetero dating and love and everything, while subtly (or not-so) telling queer kids they're wrong, bad, abnormal, sick, or damned -- I dunno, was I supposed to feel grateful that they were there to be enlightened? I just got pissed.
Yesterday I had asked my supervisor (well, the OTHER supe in my kitchen, we have two; mine was absent) if I should claim the hours for this training on my time sheet. He said, "I would." So I filled out a timesheet exception form and left it with a note for my supervisor: "Should I claim OT? Leave two hours early?"
He said it didn't have anything to do with Dining Services, and that it wasn't mandatory, so he wouldn't be paying me for it. He had already checked with the boss, who highlighted a phrase ("I am a volunteer") in the e-mail I had forwarded to all the dept. managers inviting them to the training. Never mind that my volunteering at the Center had NOTHING to do with today's training... and of course not one other person from my department thought it was worth their time. Just fag stuff.
I wrote to the Center director and asked her if I a overreacting. I want to find out if the other attendees had to take leave time to attend in the middle of their day. Then I think the union rep and the boss and I should have a meeting.
I am beyond livid. I feel completely dismissed and squashed. I think the boss just bought himself much more trouble than it would have been to just pay me for the two hours.
Frankly, I'm not sure I should have gone. Hearing all these smug straight white men say "it never occurred to me" that every social message approves of hetero dating and love and everything, while subtly (or not-so) telling queer kids they're wrong, bad, abnormal, sick, or damned -- I dunno, was I supposed to feel grateful that they were there to be enlightened? I just got pissed.
Yesterday I had asked my supervisor (well, the OTHER supe in my kitchen, we have two; mine was absent) if I should claim the hours for this training on my time sheet. He said, "I would." So I filled out a timesheet exception form and left it with a note for my supervisor: "Should I claim OT? Leave two hours early?"
He said it didn't have anything to do with Dining Services, and that it wasn't mandatory, so he wouldn't be paying me for it. He had already checked with the boss, who highlighted a phrase ("I am a volunteer") in the e-mail I had forwarded to all the dept. managers inviting them to the training. Never mind that my volunteering at the Center had NOTHING to do with today's training... and of course not one other person from my department thought it was worth their time. Just fag stuff.
I wrote to the Center director and asked her if I a overreacting. I want to find out if the other attendees had to take leave time to attend in the middle of their day. Then I think the union rep and the boss and I should have a meeting.
I am beyond livid. I feel completely dismissed and squashed. I think the boss just bought himself much more trouble than it would have been to just pay me for the two hours.