Reverse discrimination

[illas]

Call it what you want, disabled parking is discrimination.

Firstly, while I agree with everything else in your post, this example while colorful doesn't quite work.

The OP is talking about two equal people being treated differently because of something that makes them different but equal - namely their gender.
If thinking of it mathematically helps, this should be x=y, but in this case, it's x>y.

Disabled parking is giving preferential treatment to people who are different and in some way inferior - since someone who has one leg is incapable of walking as far as someone who has two. Likewise, this is a>b, therefore b needs to be added to until it is equal to a.

Finally, now that you mention it: unisex toilets would be actually be a great idea, reducing the queuing for women at busy venues and increasing the hygiene for men!

 

[Thyunda]

Well, amusingly enough, I was always advised to tick the 'Irish' ethnicity box, since with my name I could easily get away with it, and most companies' diversity policies would require them to prioritise a 'foreigner' like myself. Unfortunately, I've far too much principle, and I settle for the country in which I was born. They might compromise effectiveness for political correctness, but I'm not going to compromise my integrity to satisfy this farce.

And as a result, I've been unemployed for over a year. I would like to see a parallel universe, one in which I DID masquerade as an Irishman, and see if I'd be any better off.

 

[Treblaine]

Now I'm a bit furious because I don't know if my coworkers think i'm a good tech or if I'm just that girl that get the job because I'm a girl.

Reasonably so, this is a misguided effort at promoting fairness by being unfair.

HOWEVER, I do not think discriminating on race alone should be a bad reason either for you, for your co-workers or for society.

Take for example they wanted a female technician not for appearances but simply because a female technician would give a wider range of experiences and options for the company. Such as for example, some people may not want to invite a man over to do technical work possibly after a traumatic experience inflicted by a male. Or maybe install something in a females only establishment. Or maybe it would be good to have a woman in the work force just so it doesn't end up too much of a "ladish" environment where sexist jokes may go to far.

To use you as a mere "trophy employee" is in my opinion disingenuous for your company.

I want a company who is unbiased and practical, they will choose the best person for the job and not let gender/race/creed be an issue unless it REALLY is an issue.

This just shows they want "fake diversity". it could be your company lets a few token "minorities" (I know females aren't minority) just so they can get away with more consistent prejudice elsewhere.

But how far are your prepared to go? Will you report your employer for discriminating against you colleage? Will you ask to have the decision reversed? Though of course I think the first thing you need to do is meet with your employer and be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN of the situation, whether they employed you in guidance with company policy and discrimination laws but also public expectation.

You should honestly not be talking here, but talking to your employer and/or your union or whatever trade body would be appropriate.

 

[Flare Phoenix]

Call it what you want, disabled parking is discrimination.

Firstly, while I agree with everything else in your post, this example while colorful doesn't quite work.

The OP is talking about two equal people being treated differently because of something that makes them different but equal - namely their gender.
If thinking of it mathematically helps, this should be x=y, but in this case, it's x>y.

Disabled parking is giving preferential treatment to people who are different and in some way inferior - since someone who has one leg is incapable of walking as far as someone who has two. Likewise, this is a>b, therefore b needs to be added to until it is equal to a.

Finally, now that you mention it: unisex toilets would be actually be a great idea, reducing the queuing for women at busy venues and increasing the hygiene for men!

Oh sure, I wasn't trying to suggest disabled parking was a bad idea that needed to be done away with (although preferencial parking for people with prams, maybe...). That post was targetted at the person who said equality is about giving no special treatment to anyone based on race, sex, religion, disability, etc... The point I was trying to make was that certain things that could technically be considered discrimination are actually viewed as positive thing, and doing away with discrimination entirely would be just as bad as suggesting there isn't a problem with discrimination at all.

I know what you mean about hygiene in the men's bathrooms... I hate using public toilets for that very reason. I once accidently used the female bathrooms (accidently, I swear... I wasn't concentrating and didn't register which door I was going onto) and it was so clean! Fortunately no females came into the bathroom until I got out, so there weren't any awkward trips to the police station

 

[Titan Buttons]

In Australia it is a law aboligation to high a woman over a man, if both canidates are of equal status. This is beacuse the amount of women in the workplace are lower percentaage wise and it's a way to even the numbers.

 

[Verlander]

It's the lesser of two evils in many respects-at one point forcing bosses to hire outside the middle class white man set was the only way other people would get a job regardless of skills. Now, however, it's a different situation. You'll have male bosses scared of being prosecuted, or just sleazy ones who like a bit of skirt around the place, or you'll have female bosses who are of the generation where they want to see women succeed, and so favour them unfairly.

Luckily this only really applies to low range jobs, like starter jobs for professionals or standard worker jobs. Don't worry, when you are more experienced, you'll be passed over by obnoxious rich white kids all the time.

 

[Baneat]

Now I'm a bit furious because I don't know if my coworkers think i'm a good tech or if I'm just that girl that get the job because I'm a girl.

If your coworkers know that you weren't as qualified as the other guys, sorry but they'll think that.

Must suck to be the token

 

[ckam]

Well, if the competitors had almost the same exact qualities, then yes, go discriminate to create a more diverse workplace.

For this case, though, I don't believe you should have gotten the job. From what you say, the other guy seems to have more experience than you, which means that they've got a better quality than you. So... That's about it.

 

[The_Graff]

do you think it's acceptable to use gender or race to determine who will get a job between two persons roughly equal otherwise ?

honestly no, i dont. its nice to see one of the beneficiaries of it getting annoyed though.

 

[sivlin]

Ah yes... These kinda stories are what fuel the "male whites are the new minority" way of thinking for some.

I'm not sure how widespread this is but some companies do indeed factor in gender and ethnicity when looking for a new employee,it just makes the company look good and allows them to publish all sorts of statistics to prove the company is awesome.

I know not whether it is correct, all I know is OP has nothing to feel bad about, not your fault the company adopted this pc mentality and you had no impact on the decision.

To be honest, we are the new minority. We are VERY heavily discriminated against in all facets of life.

Personally, I think we need to drop all of this affirmative action bullshit and stop having special programs/scholarships and such for ANYONE. If we want to end discrimination completely - everyone truly needs to be equal. Having anything for one subset of people and not for the other should be completely done away with. Here's looking at you racial scholarships.

 

[Something Amyss]

Do you think it's acceptable to use gender or race to determine who will get a job between two persons roughly equal otherwise ?

Between equal candidates? I see little problem. It sounds like you were not an equal candidate, so I'm not sure how much this really applies to your circumstances.

Traditionally, and to some extent still, race, gender, sexuality, and religion have been grounds for rejecting someone from a job. The tendency to do the opposite is a natural shift to correct things. Sure, it's swung the other way, but we do not go from one extreme to equilibrium so easily as people might like.

 

[Something Amyss]

Ah yes... These kinda stories are what fuel the "male whites are the new minority" way of thinking for some.

Of course, these folks need little provocation. In nearby Keene New Hampshire, a guy lit himself on fire in protest of unfair treatment. He's become a folk hero now, with the internet Men's Rights Activists championing how the poor bastard was unfairly denied custody of his little girl because he was a MAN!

...Of course, it's because the sick little prick hit his wife and child. And his child, til she BLED.

If a man who actually injures little kids can be a folk hero, I have little concern for this notion that some will dishonestly use this sort of thing as a "whites are the new minority" deal.

There's still a ton of white privelege out there. What really gets them worried is they're feeling what it's like to not be protected by that privelege anymore. The guarantee that they would get the job, for example.

Even if there are missteps on the other side, they do not outweight the inherent bias in society.

 

[illas]

I know what you mean about hygiene in the men's bathrooms... I hate using public toilets for that very reason. I once accidently used the female bathrooms (accidently, I swear... I wasn't concentrating and didn't register which door I was going onto) and it was so clean! Fortunately no females came into the bathroom until I got out, so there weren't any awkward trips to the police station

Haha, you're right! I had the same experience a few years ago. Everything was gleaming white, it was a revelation!

 

[DVTK00p]

Chalk one up for politically correct affirmative action. Hippy fucking pansy-assed liberal policy makers.

 

[Treblaine]

Call it what you want, disabled parking is discrimination.

Yes, it is.

The problem is the inverse, how people inappropriately assuming ALL discrimination in every way is bad.

Employing a woman under-qualified for a job just as a "trophy" is deceiving and unfair. It does not promote excellence or ease sexist/racist prejudices - it inflames them. Unreasonable barriers should be removed, like stipulations that applicant must be young-white-male under the assumption only they can do the job when really the criteria should simply be what the demands for the job are.

Set the criteria clearly, don't make prejudices based on race or gender like "women can't understand computers" or "black people can't understand computers", THAT would be sexist/racist.

Simply set the standards and if they meet them, even if it's an middle aged black woman then unless something else comes up then she can take the job.

But giving her the job just to give the ILLUSION that you have no barriers, that will piss everyone off.

But part of the problem is activist organisation will do the:

"well you don't have a single black person on you staff"
"But it just so happens so few apply and those who do didn't fit the standards"
"WHRAAAAGHGHWTFBBQ DID YOU SAY!"

Disabled parking is a reasonable accommodation, as if you don't designate spaces with a side to climb out then no disabled people have even the OPPORTUNITY to use said facilities as they can park their car but very likely either cannot get out or cannot get back in their car. But something like giving disabled free parking is NOT about accommodation, disabled aren't necessarily too poor to afford parking. Unless the ticket machine is at the top of a flight of stairs there is no reason they can't get a ticket themselves.

 

[boyvirgo666]

Be thankful, I'm a white male with a mexican family. So when i get any kind of benefit like this its called white supremacy...also for some reason i was told i was the rich kid at school...because im white...not sure how that got started.

 

[honestdiscussioner]

You're not a bad person, it wasn't your decision.

It does suck that in reality, the other one deserved the job. Many women before you though have been in the reverse position. It doesn't make it right of course, but it is still reality.

Anyway, all you have to do is prove yourself as a good tech, work hard, do your job, and no one will remember this fact in a few months.

Edit: And if you really want to be awesome, find that guy's info and offer him a job whenever you're in the position to give one.

 

[FreakSheet]

True equality would be to hire who is best qualified. End of story.

 

[BRex21]

Any sentiment i want to say has already been said, but that won't stop me from talking. I have a couple stories to tell.
First, when i was just out of college i tried to land a job with Manitoba Hydro. My buddy, who owed me a favor, went to get forms for us. About 3 days after handing in the forms i got the call for an interview, I nailed it the guy wanted to hire me but... Since my buddy had a aboriginal relative 5 generations prior (IE as white as I am) he had gotten me forms for a minority. He got hired, I got put in a queue. now the added diversity had an unintentional side effect, one the interviewer found out I wasn't aboriginal he went off on a tangent about how much he hates the rules and aboriginal people using the words scum of the earth and the like. You see it seems hiring white people based on their qualifications and aboriginal people in order to fill arbitrary quotas had left him with a bad impression. I have no reason to doubt you can do the job, but you now have to prove yourself more than any male candidate would in order to earn respect.
I currently hold a good management position in the biotech field, I got my job when in an entry level position my boss and her boss quit. When everyone was standing around trying to figure out where to go, I started doing the job. I did it well and they gave me the job. To date I have gotten a plaque a cash bonus worth more than my , admittedly terrible, car and a free trip to Missouri to discuss the efficiency of my program. Still because we want more female managers and female biotech employees are plentiful this is the area that they want to do it. My skill has nothing to do with my skin or reproductive hardware and everything to do with my experience and personality, yet people want to replace me because i have an X chromeazome.
you have this job and you need to show your co-workers and your boss that you can do this job as good as anyone regardless of gender or race. You have to prove that a woman can do this job because your company has just come out and said you can't without their help.

 

[Icehearted]

Reverse discrimination is not discriminating... I think.....