out of curiousity, *serious question*

[vinyl-raven.livejournal.com]

Do you need to be homosexual to work at Diesel?

The story:
I need a night job, and my options are limited. I've tried to apply for Diesel in the past, got as far as the interview stage. But never heard back, I did follow up but got the run around.

Now first I thought that my having to much coffee shop experience may have turned them off, or even my not having a friend that works there may have effected me.

So before I look into applying again, I would like to know if my being straight effects my chances of being hired.


Thanks

Sorry if this offends anyone.

Comments

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

::makes the popcorn::

[jadelennox]

*passes the butter and salt*

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Ooh, can I share?

Shows are so much better with popcorn.

IANAL

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

I would like to know if my being straight effects my chances of being hired.

Legally, no.

Re: IANAL

[cityofbeige.livejournal.com]

I was going to say the same. If they do discriminate because you're straight, and you have conclusive proof of it (not just some hunch), you could sue their ass. But it really wouldn't be worth the hassle.

Re: IANAL

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

I understand what you mean by the abbreviation you used for the title, but find it ironic in context!

Re: IANAL

[audacian.livejournal.com]

Legally, no.

Does Massachusetts have laws preventing discrimination based on sexuality?

*takes the bait*

[tikva.livejournal.com]

I think they probably just thought the I CAN HAS KOK?!? t-shirt was a little informal for a job interview.

Re: *takes the bait*

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

win

[ron_newman]

How would they know whether you are straight?

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

There's a secret handshake.

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Not to be an ass--because I don't know you and you haven't given me a reason--but is it possible they just didn't like you for some reason?

I mean, experience or no, a lot of employers go on what kind of "vibe" they get from a candidate, and whether they would want to work with that person.

[ex-nohesita.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and if that "vibe" was, 'I am oppressed by the gays because I'm straight' you probably won't do so well with their clientele or other employeess.

Normally, I wouldn't do this

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

...But I'm sorry, Ron, I just have to.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/16889258@N03/2165682957/)

Re: Normally, I wouldn't do this

[jadelennox]

To be fair, I don't think she's a troll. I think she's someone who doesn't understand why she didn't get a job because she doesn't know that most of the time, when you apply for a job in an employers' market, you don't get it. And I think many people are made uncomfortable in a place where, for the first time, their sexuality or gender expresssion is not normative, so they find it difficult to see the difference between "I am not the norm here" and "these people hate me".

[ron_newman]

I doubt that you had to submit a writing sample, but if you did, you would have failed. The word you are looking for is "affect", not "effect".

[vinyl-raven.livejournal.com]

damn my poor grammar and spelling skills! to think Umass gave me an A in english..

seriously, I spell things the way they sound to me, and I just don't catch it. Then of course it gets pointed out and I get aggravated. It's something that I'm working on..

[vanguardcdk.livejournal.com]

Discriminating against someone based on sexual orientation would open the doors to big time legal problems.

It's more likely that for whatever reason they didn't think you'd be a good fit or something.

Basically it's like this:

Diesel has a "gays only" hiring policy. (very unlikely)

Diesel has a "only trendy people we like" hiring policy (possible if unlikely)

You didn't qualify for some perfectly legal and normal reason (certainly possible)

[splatterbone.livejournal.com]

I'm a straight guy, and I was offered a job there about five or six months ago. I ended up turning it down, but there you go.

Maybe if you dress up like an awkward-looking straight guy working in finance and carry a laptop bag you'll have a better chance.

yes but

[piscesboy311.livejournal.com]

I think a straight girl would have a hard time there since the staff is mostly gay women, some of which always look and act pissed off or put off that they have to do their job.

[etana.livejournal.com]

I think your grammar & spelling may have had something to do with it....

[damsel-ophelia.livejournal.com]

(earlier snarky comment deleted because I realized you are not a boy)
Sexual orientation probably has nothing to do with it - there's probably more than enough folks in their applicant pool that have experience and have connections to other staff members. While I don't work for Diesel, I can say from my experience in interviewing folks for positions that part of what is sought in an applicant is someone who looks as if they would be a good personality fit with the rest of the staff. As in - I would not have hired a cashier who would spout off to all and sundry about how white people can't get jobs because of all the damned immigrants when I had a kitchen staff full of guys from South America.

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

What was the erroneous comment?

Just wanted to say thanks

[vinyl-raven.livejournal.com]

Thanks, this helped a lot

Defintely made my work day go by fast.

[anotherjen.livejournal.com]

What makes you think everyone currently working at Diesel is homosexual? Methinks you are making assumptions based on their appearance.

That being said, here is a politically incorrect icon. :-D

No

[piscesboy311.livejournal.com]

They're definitely gay. There is a gay orgy in the back of the shop after closing each night.

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

Can't you act gay?

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Boy, if I had a nickel for every time you said that.

[whitefire.livejournal.com]

Think back: did your interviewer have a 'Cathy' mug saying "You don't have to be gay to work here......but it sure does help!!"

Cult

[piscesboy311.livejournal.com]

The Diesel staff is such a cult. I totally HATE that sign on the door that says "PLEASE DON'T MAKE OUR STAFF WAIT IN LINE TO USE THE BATHROOM".

Why don't we roll out a red carpet as they bypass a customer line to use the toilet.

Re: Cult

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I never go there because of that whole "it is your privilege to give us your money" attitude.

who gets to wait? You or five people at the counter?

[shava23.livejournal.com]

OK, so let's pencil this out -- someone is on shift and busy and needs to pee. Should they be able to cut into line for the bathroom and get back to helping customers, or should they wait for you and three other folks in line?

Yeah, you're right, there's a privileged attitude involved, but I don't think it's from the Diesel staff...

The problem with "everything I need to know I learned in Kindergarden" is that some of us work for a living these days, and don't get to follow quite the same rules in the same way decades later. Sorry dude.

Re: who gets to wait? You or five people at the counter?

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

should they wait for you and three other folks in line?

How about door number three, employee-only restroom?

[sekala.livejournal.com]

I get what you're saying. I've worked in a couple of different kinds of coffee shops and been rejected from some too. I also come from an all women's college which gives me some perspective on what I think you are seeing in Diesel. There is a culture there without a doubt and whether or not that culture has anything to do with being gay or straight is questionable, however there is a very distinct culture. When I walked into diesel for the first time my first impression was that about 95% of the staff could have been people I knew from my school -- people that went in looking like your typical high school girl stereotype and somewhere in their sophomore year decided that short spiky hair, dyke clothes, and a piercing or two was the way to go. I had friends who did it, some gay, some straight, but all of them participated in the culture that that particular look signifies.

Enough people above have commented that any business would be stupid to discriminate based on sexuality, or rather, assumed sexuality(they can't actually ask you that in an interview or you can sue them big time) but what most places that hire do is look for people they think would get along in their particular work culture, which in this is one that the large majority of the public would consider a type of gay culture even if it isn't.

Apart from that though, you're right about one other thing. Sometimes having too much coffeeshop experience is a bad thing. Where I used to work, I would help my boss weed through some of our applicants and sometimes he would dismiss people based on where they'd worked before, or when he'd have them demonstrate what they knew how to do, he wouldn't hire them. This was because sometimes people in a job like this get so set in their ways that they can't or won't be re-trained. There was a very high level of quality control where I used to work, and when I first walked into diesel I noticed that same kind of attention to their product. So that could be another factor altogether.

[vinyl-raven.livejournal.com]

thanks.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

BIG NEWSFLASH: NOT EVERYONE WHO WORKS AT DIESEL IS GAY.

Now, maybe they're not hiring you because you don't fit into the faded-vintage-t-shirt/multiple piercings/spiky hair/vegan boots look that seems to be de rigueur for Diesel employees of all sexes, and sexual orientations.

That's perfectly legal. Weird, but legal.

[teko.livejournal.com]

The funny thing is, about six months ago someone new started there... a blonde girl who looked like the exact opposite of the Diesel stereotype. I remember her ringing me in awkwardly and saying "it's my first day!". Of all the employees there, she was the only one who'd greet people with a big smile and friendly words. That didn't last long, but maybe sometimes they try to hire against type.

[diatomacearth.livejournal.com]

I am at a loss as to how this is a serious question.

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

It's a troll tactic. Sounds like the OP is known for it, apparently, on other communities -- see discussion under thetathx1138's troll image above, and the OP's subsequent comment about the discussion entertaining her at work. Also, claiming that Diesel discriminates against straight people is a frequent troll tactic on d_s. (Sadly, some of the people who comment on those threads seem to believe it's actually true. *snarfs* Reminds me of the people who used to claim that they were "discriminated against" in my performing arts dorm's dining hall because they "looked preppie" -- I love it when members of a majority culture, the moment they enter a setting where they are temporarily no longer in the majority, become desperate to claim that THEY'RE PERSECUTED TOO DAMMIT!) Part of what I'm finding so entertaining about this discussion is the LACK of outraged/offended responses. For the most part, the commenters are too busy laughing at how transparent this and making witty cracks to actually take the bait.