What the crap??
This is a real conversation with my friend Juanita. I am NevienPhoenix, she is Beautiful Sensei.
**********
NevienPhoenix: did I tell you about Crazy Religious Lady?
Beautiful Sensei: nooo?
NevienPhoenix: OH MY GOD
NevienPhoenix: ok, so a week ago, this lady came in and left a note with one of our booksellers about a display we had
NevienPhoenix: the display was called "Gay and Lesbian" and it featured titles from that genre and whatever.
NevienPhoenix: and this lady wrote a complaint, which she is totally allowed to do of course, and in this complaint, she said that she thought we should change out that display and put it somewhere more discrete
NevienPhoenix: or, she said we should change the title of the display to "Children of God"
Beautiful Sensei: psycho
NevienPhoenix: aye
NevienPhoenix: it gets better
NevienPhoenix: needless to say we all were like "uh... whatever lady" 'cause we don't control what displays we have, that's all decided at corporate headquarters in NY. And besides, we wouldn't change it anyway because it's not necessecary for us to do so just because one person has a problem with it. That display has a much right to be up as the African American display and the Native American Display.
NevienPhoenix: so here's where the plot thickens
NevienPhoenix: I'm working today, and she comes BACK
Beautiful Sensei: oh no...
NevienPhoenix: and she comes up to me and goes, kinda snappy like, "I turned in a letter last sunday about the Gay and Lesbian display being changed to children of God and I see that it's still up. I was just wondering why it hadn't been changed yet."
Beautiful Sensei: oy vey
NevienPhoenix: and I go "Well, it hasn't been changed because we don't decide what displays we have. The New York office makes these decisions and tells us where to place them and what to have on them. You'd have to talk to them if you wanted to see a change"
NevienPhoenix: and she goes "well I want to see your manager." and I'm like oh no... because my manager... is gay...
Beautiful Sensei: lmao
NevienPhoenix: yes
NevienPhoenix: ohhh yes
NevienPhoenix: So I'm like "Rob to cashwrap A for customer service please, Rob to cashwrap A"
NevienPhoenix: and he comes up
NevienPhoenix: and he's like "hi! what can I do for you?" and she goes "Well apparently I have to go to New York to get this changed but I was just wondering, do we have to have a Gay and Lesbian display facing the street? I'm just thinking about the children, I think we should change it to Children of God."
Beautiful Sensei: lol.....
NevienPhoenix: and Rob is like "... well Barnes and Noble is exercising the First Amendment rights, we have just as much right to have up a Gay and Lesbian display as any other display" and he said some other things that I forgot and he ended with "and actually, I AM one of those people, I am gay."
NevienPhoenix: and she looks at him, kinda taken aback and goes "God bless you."
NevienPhoenix: and I was like "um..."
NevienPhoenix: and he goes "I can get you the number for corporate headquarters and you can call them because there's nothing I can do about it."
NevienPhoenix: and she said yes, give me that, and he goes to get it, and then she turns to ME and starts trying to like convince me or something
Beautiful Sensei: bahaha
NevienPhoenix: and I'm sorry, I have a "straight but not narrow" bumper sticker for a reason
Beautiful Sensei: i would have told her i was gay myself ;) put her in the twilight zone
NevienPhoenix: lol
NevienPhoenix: and so I just go "Well honestly, I don't see how you can justify changing it to Children of God really. I mean, according to the teachings of Jesus, we're all children of God and so if we change one display, we would have to change them all, wouldn't we? And I am thinking about the children, because what about those children who have to grow up in those situations or those children who are just discovering that they're gay?"
NevienPhoenix: "if we're all children of God, then it shouldn't matter our sexual preference or what display we have faced out to the street. I believe that you have to look inside yourself and figure out who you are before you can go looking for God or try to correct others"
Beautiful Sensei: geez
NevienPhoenix: I know, and she kinda gave me this dirty look like how dare I not back her up or something and goes "well that‘s what you believe." and I'm like Lady, if you're going to stand up for your beliefs, then there's no reason why I can't either. I feel attacked and so yeah, I'm going to defend myself
NevienPhoenix: and so yeah, then she left and my manager and I were like geeze... crazy lady
NevienPhoenix: so that's my story :)
Beautiful Sensei: i like it. danny has also been amused by the crazy lady. thank you <3
**********
NevienPhoenix: did I tell you about Crazy Religious Lady?
Beautiful Sensei: nooo?
NevienPhoenix: OH MY GOD
NevienPhoenix: ok, so a week ago, this lady came in and left a note with one of our booksellers about a display we had
NevienPhoenix: the display was called "Gay and Lesbian" and it featured titles from that genre and whatever.
NevienPhoenix: and this lady wrote a complaint, which she is totally allowed to do of course, and in this complaint, she said that she thought we should change out that display and put it somewhere more discrete
NevienPhoenix: or, she said we should change the title of the display to "Children of God"
Beautiful Sensei: psycho
NevienPhoenix: aye
NevienPhoenix: it gets better
NevienPhoenix: needless to say we all were like "uh... whatever lady" 'cause we don't control what displays we have, that's all decided at corporate headquarters in NY. And besides, we wouldn't change it anyway because it's not necessecary for us to do so just because one person has a problem with it. That display has a much right to be up as the African American display and the Native American Display.
NevienPhoenix: so here's where the plot thickens
NevienPhoenix: I'm working today, and she comes BACK
Beautiful Sensei: oh no...
NevienPhoenix: and she comes up to me and goes, kinda snappy like, "I turned in a letter last sunday about the Gay and Lesbian display being changed to children of God and I see that it's still up. I was just wondering why it hadn't been changed yet."
Beautiful Sensei: oy vey
NevienPhoenix: and I go "Well, it hasn't been changed because we don't decide what displays we have. The New York office makes these decisions and tells us where to place them and what to have on them. You'd have to talk to them if you wanted to see a change"
NevienPhoenix: and she goes "well I want to see your manager." and I'm like oh no... because my manager... is gay...
Beautiful Sensei: lmao
NevienPhoenix: yes
NevienPhoenix: ohhh yes
NevienPhoenix: So I'm like "Rob to cashwrap A for customer service please, Rob to cashwrap A"
NevienPhoenix: and he comes up
NevienPhoenix: and he's like "hi! what can I do for you?" and she goes "Well apparently I have to go to New York to get this changed but I was just wondering, do we have to have a Gay and Lesbian display facing the street? I'm just thinking about the children, I think we should change it to Children of God."
Beautiful Sensei: lol.....
NevienPhoenix: and Rob is like "... well Barnes and Noble is exercising the First Amendment rights, we have just as much right to have up a Gay and Lesbian display as any other display" and he said some other things that I forgot and he ended with "and actually, I AM one of those people, I am gay."
NevienPhoenix: and she looks at him, kinda taken aback and goes "God bless you."
NevienPhoenix: and I was like "um..."
NevienPhoenix: and he goes "I can get you the number for corporate headquarters and you can call them because there's nothing I can do about it."
NevienPhoenix: and she said yes, give me that, and he goes to get it, and then she turns to ME and starts trying to like convince me or something
Beautiful Sensei: bahaha
NevienPhoenix: and I'm sorry, I have a "straight but not narrow" bumper sticker for a reason
Beautiful Sensei: i would have told her i was gay myself ;) put her in the twilight zone
NevienPhoenix: lol
NevienPhoenix: and so I just go "Well honestly, I don't see how you can justify changing it to Children of God really. I mean, according to the teachings of Jesus, we're all children of God and so if we change one display, we would have to change them all, wouldn't we? And I am thinking about the children, because what about those children who have to grow up in those situations or those children who are just discovering that they're gay?"
NevienPhoenix: "if we're all children of God, then it shouldn't matter our sexual preference or what display we have faced out to the street. I believe that you have to look inside yourself and figure out who you are before you can go looking for God or try to correct others"
Beautiful Sensei: geez
NevienPhoenix: I know, and she kinda gave me this dirty look like how dare I not back her up or something and goes "well that‘s what you believe." and I'm like Lady, if you're going to stand up for your beliefs, then there's no reason why I can't either. I feel attacked and so yeah, I'm going to defend myself
NevienPhoenix: and so yeah, then she left and my manager and I were like geeze... crazy lady
NevienPhoenix: so that's my story :)
Beautiful Sensei: i like it. danny has also been amused by the crazy lady. thank you <3