This is a topic I know I don’t have all of the answers on, but it is one that has frustrated me quite a bit in recent weeks. Like my last few posts this will deal heavily with work situations but from a much different angle. Let’s jump in.
New Visitors
A couple weeks ago we had a large group of Monks visit the park and our ride in particular. However, they visited our ride on the condition that they not be spoken to or asked to speak with any women. This means the women of the workplace were not allowed to interact or even do their jobs in their presence.
The leadership in our area gave no explanation of what was happening during this first occurrence. The women in the area were merely told to stand aside while men around the workplace, myself included, were told to jump in and take over for them. We didn’t know why at first but the reasoning became quickly apparent.
This was frustrating to me personally and based on conversations that sparked immediately afterwards, it was frustrating to the women of the workplace as well. To be shoved aside with no explanation because a group of visitors hold demeaning beliefs about you is not something you should encounter in the workplace. Frustrations were voiced and the matter fizzled.
Jump forward to this week and another group of Monks with the same religious beliefs visit the ride. Again, the women are told to stand aside or turn around and the men of the workplace are quickly thrown in to cover for them. There was better communication and more of a warning from our leadership this time, but the issue at the center still remains the same.
What are we Accommodating?
The question at the center of this is “why are we accommodating sexism?”. The instant retort is to say “we’re accommodating religious beliefs” but I find that argument farcical. The company does a lot to accommodate different needs and even wants in the parks. Accommodating a religious belief is part of the reason why the parks serve diverse foods with options that exclude and omit almost any ingredient so that everyone can eat and enjoy something regardless of their restrictions. Accommodation is why the parks are built with ramps to accompany every stairway and why queues are designed to be wide enough for wheelchairs and ECVs. Accommodation ends where discrimination is required to meet the supposed need.
The area leadership has chosen to discriminate against women in the workplace by bending to this request. Now this request may be based in a religious belief held by the Monks, but just because its basis comes from this place of piety doesn’t mean it’s okay. If the request were to be for a different type of discrimination, would we still honor it?
Suppose a group of Proud Boys came in and said they couldn’t speak to anyone of mixed race descent? Would we find an all white group of cast members to accommodate their request? What if a Christian group came in and said they couldn’t speak to anyone identifying as homosexual? Would we push any non-heterosexuals to the side? Say it wasn’t a group of Monks but a single family asking to not be spoken to by a woman. Would we still accommodate them?
Religious Freedom
I believe in Religious Freedom. The ability to practice your faith without interference from the government is an honorable and wonderful protection granted to us by the Constitution. Religious Freedom is a right saved for us from the Federal Government and while the Constitution only has say over what the government can and can’t do, it serves as a great framework for most organizations and workplaces to pattern themselves off of. That said, just because the Constitution enables you to practice your religious beliefs, doesn’t mean it gives you the right to place whatever stipulations they come with on others outside of your home, church, or religious organization.
The Monks are free to dress the way their religion compels them to, to speak the way their religion asks them to, and to boldly identify themselves as such. They shouldn’t also be free to discriminate and create hostility in a workplace that doesn’t belong to their order. If the presence of women are such an issue, they shouldn’t be in such a rush to visit a theme park where women are the majority.
It’s Not Okay
This issue irritates me because it is blatantly harmful to the people I spend most of my time with. It creates a culture of inferiority in regards to women by allowing them to be discriminated against not just easily but with the backing of the people who are supposed to be looking out for them. It is equally frustrating because there is no clear cut way to address the issue. The only response anyone seems to be able to have is to be contumacious: which would result in nothing but disciplinary action.
I don’t know exactly what to do about this. On the one hand, I wasn’t the one being discriminated against. On the other, deaf ears seem to be the only ones available in the workplace. What I do know is that this type of behavior isn’t right. Inclusion and accommodation cannot stem from discrimination. Your rights end where they can only be secured if you strip the rights of another.
I write this because I don’t know any better course of action to take. This type of behavior needs to be identified, it needs to be called out. It’s not okay.
Collin Willis 