A City of Calgary strategist, concerned about what she perceived to be harassment in the workplace, recently contacted me in my capacity as the Egale co-director for the Prairies/NWT/Nunavut Region.
It appears a nickname had been coined for an individual whose orientation is unknown, and was applied to this individual by his co-workers, who thought it amusing.
Most of us grew up hearing the usual “nicknames” and when we reacted to them we were told that we were “over-sensitive.” Our abusers – for that is what they were – were “only kidding” and gee, maybe if we lightened up a bit, people would like us more…
In recent years the phrase “that’s so gay” which is used to describe something lame, uncool, or stupid, has gained popularity in our schoolyards – and few teachers ever challenge it or attempt to correct it.
Apparently the new “that’s so gay” is “that’s so brokeback.” The individual to whom the nickname was being applied was being nicknamed “Brokeback” by his fellow workers. All in good fun, you understand…just kidding around, y’know… Of course, the nickname is a direct reference to Ang Lee’s film, Brokeback Mountain so the gay reference is unmistakable. Calling this co-worker “Brokeback” is tantamount to calling him “faggot.” Neither should be tolerated.
The city strategist and her partner apparently got into a discussion about the appropriateness of such nicknaming. I am not privy to the actual conversation, but I can guess – oh, it’s just a nickname, gosh it’s not like they are calling him a faggot/homo/queer/fairy/cocksucker, they’re just kidding around, maybe he is gay, etc.
Any such slang imposed on us is a slur. If a gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans person chooses to self describe as “queer,” that is one thing. If a heterosexual individual refers to someone as “a queer,” that is something else again. It is not appropriate and we need to challenge it every time it occurs.
I informed the strategist that this was workplace harassment and needed to stop. If it persisted, the individual could, and should, file a complaint with the Human Resources Department. The City of Calgary has rules and regulations against harassment and discrimination in the workplace, and those regulations include harassment and/or discrimination due to sexual orientation.
Such name calling/nicknaming creates a hostile work environment, not only for the person targeted, but also for any other GLBTQ person or family member in that office or having to deal with that office. Even overhearing jokes about queers is hearing jokes about oneself, and to hear a suspected homosexual employee saddled (no pun intended) with the moniker “Brokeback” is as much a slam against every GLBTQ person in that office as it is against the individual himself.
Would it be acceptable to nickname a person of colour Sambo or Aunt Jemima? Someone who is Aboriginal, Chief or Pocahontas? An Asian, Sammy or Suzie Wong? Of course it wouldn’t be…then how on earth do people figure it is appropriate to nickname someone because of their sexual orientation?
These are supposedly professional people, responsible for the proper working and administration of our city. There simply is no excuse for it.
Stephen Lock is a long-time glbtq activist, Vice-President and Regional Co-Director for Egale Canada and also the producer and host of a semi-monthly glbtq radio show, Speak Sebastian, airing at 9pm on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month on CJSW FM 90.9 (www.cjsw.com).
