December 10, 2008

Did you call in gay today?

It's "call in gay" day today. Or, no, the real name is "Day Without a Gay." "Call in gay" equates "gay" with "sick," which isn't the intended message. Well, what is the message? What possible good is done for a cause by a protest that comes in the form of shirking your responsibilities?
Same-sex marriage supporters are urging people to skip work by "calling in gay" on Wednesday as part of their campaign to overturn Proposition 8.

The first ever "Day Without a Gay" is being organized to show the nation relies on homosexuals and to raise awareness of the drive to legalize gay and lesbian marriage.
So your co-worker doesn't show up today? What are the chances you will respond by rethinking your position on gay marriage?
"We are all for a boycott if that's what brings about a sense of community for people," said Sean Hetherington, a comedian and personal trainer who came up with the idea with his boyfriend.
Nice publicity for you, Sean. Great idea on that score. It's not really a "boycott" though, is it? People are asked to avoid their jobs, when there is nothing wrong with their jobs. And "a sense of community for people"? How about the community that people at work feel with each other? You call in sick because you actually can't contribute that day, and you feel bad that you've left other people to cover for you. Picture the "community" they are having without someone who "called in gay," knowing that he or she decided not to work because of a political agenda.

Of course, most people -- gay or not -- can see that it would be foolish to stay out of work to try to send a political message. And that's one more reason why the comedian's idea is ridiculous. Very few people will do it, and it's the sort of protest that means something only if it's very widespread.

And I apologize for giving this fool more publicity. I avoided blogging about this topic a few weeks ago. But it got enough publicity that I could see that my little "boycott" was doing just about nothing.

52 comments:

Ron said...

If I call in bi, do I just get half-a-day off? Or two days, yes!

ricpic said...

Oh, The Humanity

Lost without homos,
Everyone in a quandary;
Deprived of the yeoman fairy
The nation down goes.

Hoosier Daddy said...

So your co-worker doesn't show up today? What are the chances you will respond by rethinking your position on gay marriage?

I guess it would depend. In my present job, it would have no effect on my day whatsoever. Back when I was working in the steel mill and depended on my co-worker to come in and relieve me from my shift rather than work a double, I'd be pissed off.

Ray said...

The whole thing is totally gay.

AllenS said...

If you're transgendered, can you take any day off you want?

Unknown said...

The economy's bad, folks are being laid off, and this idiot thinks now is a good time for us gays to boycott work? "Gee, Todd didn't come in today and we still managed to get along, so . . ."

But this guy's a comedian / personal trainer so maybe he doesn't understand how a real job works.

In any event, I wish he'd go back to persecuting Mormons and stop trying to get the rest of us fired.

AllenS said...

Don't call in Catholic, you probably get Sunday off anyway.

KCFleming said...

Oh, for pete's sake. What twaddle.

I have been wondering lately, Althouse, if the seeming increase in gay demography in the West is due to the confirmed environmental estrogenism I mentioned here 2 years ago, and now on Instapundit.


What if the mention of the future being 'plastics' in the film "The Graduate" was actually foretelling everyone calling in gay? What if it isn't nature or nurture, but manufacture?

SteveR said...

a comedian and personal trainer

but I repest myself.

And yeah, take a big risk dude, you're freaking self employed.

Beth said...

I don't think calling in gay today would raise the consciousness of the 30 students waiting for me to give them their final exam. I better see the gay students in th eir desks, ready to explicate poems, too.

How hard exactly is it for a "comedian and personal trainer" to miss work anyway?

save_the_rustbelt said...

A couple of years there was a "without a Mexican" day, and nothing much happened.

I'm thinking of having a straight white (mostly) people day - we could all watch reruns on cable and do white guy stuff.

Come to think of it, we already have that. It is called the first day of deer hunting season - most of the white people disappear to the woods.

Jack said...

"Gee, Todd didn't come in today and we still managed to get along, so . . ."

Paavo,
That's exactly what I was thinking. My company just announced 11,000 layoffs coming after Christmas. Eleven thousand. And this is a healthy Fortune 500 company. (Honestly; I know you'll laugh when I say that since it seems counterintuitive, but the point is that the economic meltdown is now so severe that even healthy companies are taking drastic action to deal with massive reductions in orders.)

Now doesn't seem like a great time to be making political statements in the workplace.

Maybe that whole hierarchy of needs applies here: If you're really secure in your job, you can protest with a gay day off. If like millions of Americans and terrified about losing your job and not being able to find a new one, you might want to put your head down and get some work done so they feel like they can't afford to let you go.

Oh man, we're so screwed.

11,000 people.

Jack said...

Damn. And almost every one of those 11,000 people is a hard-working, productive American. They didn't do this to themselves.

I hear so much anger about "why should I be punished to bail out people who failed?"

But these people didn't fail. There is a cascade effect going on now. And it's wiping out a lot of people.

Ugh.

If you believe in prayer, say a prayer for your fellow Americans. Hard working folks who show up every day and do a damn good job.

Simon said...

In an economy perceived to be on the skids, how many people are going to put their jobs at risk to make a political statement? The illegales organized a "don't buy anything" day a few years back, based on a similar premise. It didn't work, either.

And here's why the whole concept is dishonest: the door swings only one way. They want to send the message that gays are important to the smooth functioning of America, but if they organize this thing, and the world carries on as normal, will that be taken to mean that they're not as important as they'd thought?

Palladian said...

"They want to send the message that gays are important to the smooth functioning of America, but if they organize this thing, and the world carries on as normal, will that be taken to mean that they're not as important as they'd thought?"

No, it will mean that most gays are much smarter than the dolts that came up with this lame idea and went to work as usual.

KCFleming said...

Jack's right. No one's going to risk a layoff by pissing off their employer right now. What a stupid idea.

Tantrums work for some 2 year olds, though. Depends on the parents.

TosaGuy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
TosaGuy said...

Hoosier Daddy said: "Back when I was working in the steel mill "


Sorry, couldn't resist...nothing intended or implied.

LutherM said...

ANN wrote:
"Call in gay" equates "gay" with "sick," which isn't the intended message.
ANN is old enough to recall earlier versions of the DSM, which, of course, were not politically correct.

BJK said...

Great; just what the world needs in these troubled financial times.

I suppose that, after losing an entire day of productivity, we will now have to turn our national attention to a fashion industry bailout.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I didnt go to work today, but that's because I had a court date this morning.

Oh well.

Titushadabaddream said...

I did not call in gay today.

Yea, I am sure that will show the straighties who voted on Prop 8.

I had a really bad dream last night. My dream was I was in an airport and I only had 4 shit bags and my rare clumbers shit more than 4 times and people at the airport were throwing lysol cans at us. Then someone stole my rare clumbers and I was screaming and crying in the airport that they are all I have. I woke up to two huge rare clumber heads looking at me because I woke them up because I was screaming.

It was devastating.

How are you?

Moose said...

When we herd them all into ghettos and firehose them when they want to have sex in public in San Fran (which they might enjoy - who knows. Titus?) Then I'll give a damn.

Right now - the whole SSM issue ranks down there with legalizing pot and any thing to do with PETA.

If I can resort to sweeping generalizations, gays seem to have an inflated senses of self importance regarding anything to do with their lifestyle choices (not being homosexual - being gay).

sonicfrog said...

Fine

Tomorrow, lets have a hetero-sickday, and lets see if the gays can get by without all the evil bigoted straights.

Signed

The Gay Guy Who Is Working Today.

Titushadabaddream said...

Gays are not a homogeneous group.

No one should make sweeping generalizations about the gay.

We cum in all types.

Personally, I hate other gays-for the most part. Most of my gay friends hate other gays too.

Also, the bears hate the gym bunnies who hate the twinks who hate the cubs who hate the drags who hate everyone.

We are not a close knit community-contrary to what some may believe.

Titushadabaddream said...

I also hate gay pride and gay parades. Never been to any of that shit.

Maybe this hate is really directed at myself?

Ken Pidcock said...

Nobody told me I was supposed to call in gay. Had to hear it on the radio.

I guess this shows me where I stand in the culture, or out of it.

Excellent top comment, Ron.

Darcy said...

Thank you, Jack, for those comments.

Chip Ahoy said...

I'm not answering this question because I'm boycotting. Oh wait. Goddamnit!


I too had an extremely strange dream last night, nearly too strange to express. Therefore, I shall express it now. It was a proper OBE, it was. I'm laying prone on my back and being held down firmly by two people, one on my chest another at my feet. The sensuality was extreme. I could actually feel both feet being pressed on the tops and the bottoms as if massaged but also as if being firmly pegged. The weight on my chest moved. OK, this is the disturbing part; The weight on my chest turned out to be Al Bundy, the television character, not the actor, and the person at my feet was the sinister female neighbor in that show. The sensations were not altogether unpleasant. I struggled but the two had me pinned. Then it got worse. Turns out, Al Bundy was naked and his erect penis was touching me. He maintained a malevolent expression but otherwise seemed impotent, but my feet and legs actually felt kind of good and extremely heavy. My breathing was full and the air I breathed out was more dense than normal air. I struggled but couldn't move. Then I realized my struggle tended to push my whole body out through my mouth. That's how I could escape. I inverted my entire being by turning myself inside out through my mouth. I could actually feel the dense sensation fill through my mouth as my tongue swelled, as a frog's neck swells. I marveled at the sensation. That's the only way I can express it. And that's when I realized this was something qualitatively different from an ordinary dream. The way to confirm it would also turn it off -- by rotating my real-life sleeping body to my side. That would be the switch to shut it off and regain trump control. It was the only way to prove this all wasn't actually happening in the real world, to get Bundy with his disgusting erection and ill intentions off my chest and the only way I had to control things and to regain ultimate power. I decided I must move my sleeping body, leaden on the bed. This took colossal effort, and I mean colossal, to rotate, as if lifting a ton of bricks. The effort that took stirred my conscious self to the surface and I slowly, achingly slowly, woke up and Bundy and his neighbor lady disappeared. Then I laid there fully awake thinking, "Shit, that was weird. Glad that didn't happen. But it did happen (back there)" The whole thing was extremely exceedingly disturbingly real. Incidentally, the television in the other room was OFF and the room was dead quiet.

But back to the gay boycott. Didn't gays have a national don't-buy-anything boycott for a day last year? Possibly two years ago? Or was it a sit-down strike. I forget.

sonicfrog said...

I don't remember dreaming anything last night. I must not be gay.

Eric said...

A couple of years there was a "without a Mexican" day, and nothing much happened.

Yeah, it wasn't smart to get people thinking "hmmm, we seem to be doing just fine without them." But worse (from the Mexican perspective) was the common refrain "Traffic was wonderful today! I wish they'd stay home every day."

sonicfrog said...

A day without gays...

Why, I haven't been this distraught since The Year Without a Santa Claus!

Ryan said...

"bears hate the gym bunnies who hate the twinks who hate the cubs who hate the drags who hate everyone"

What is a twink and a cub?

Anonymous said...

Eh. How about hetero Friday. Call in sick, we'll all meet at a bar.

Methadras said...

I'll just call in G.L.B.T. take the day off and go to a D.E.L.I and get a B.L.T.

Henry said...

Instead of "Day Without a Gay" Mr. Hetherington should have promoted "Train Without a Gay." Gay BART drivers would release the controls and jump out. It would be like a Gay rapture. That would get people thinking. What would Californians do if all the Gays were suddenly called up to heaven?

tjl said...

"What is a twink and a cub?"

Obviously some vital co-workers called in gay today or you could get the answer at the office.

A twink is a graceful young man whose slenderness earns the disdain of us gym bunnies. A cub is a junior version of Andrew Sullivan

Scipio said...

My friend called it 'Atlas Swished.'

blake said...

Yeah, the day without a Mexican was awesome.

I had been relatively sanguine on the presence of illegals until I realized how hard they made the morning commute.

Methadras said...

So far a Day without a Gay is working out pretty well. All the hissy fits seem to have vanished.

Anonymous said...

Sean and Aaron, a couple, came up with an idea. While sitting around doing whatever it is they do when their brainstorming, decided that gays should take the day off today. They coined it, “Day Without a Gay.”

The idea was to show solidarity for their brethren in the pursuit of holy matrimony. They believed that if the entire gay community, less than one percent of the population, from coast to coast avoided their jobs, America would come to a grinding halt.

As it happens, Sean and Aaron are self employed. They will be calling each other to prove to the world that a day without a couple of comedians will put a frown on America’s face.

Oh my, a ‘Day Without a Gay’ and the laughter stopped, the inhumanity of it is almost too much to bear.

Anonymous said...

Misspoke, er, written in error earlier,

...when they are brainstorming...

Proper word usage is important here. Apologies.

Titushadabaddream said...

A twink is a skinny very young fag-perhaps sucking a lollipop.

A cub is a younger version of the bear. Still hairy but less chubby and not yet mature enough to be a full fledged bear. A cub's growl is not as deep and perfected as the bears is.

Titushadabaddream said...

A dinge queen is a white fag who prefers blacks.

Rice Queen is self explanatory.

Size Queen-obvious

You have your top and bottoms.

Scat Queen-which is nasty.

Trolls-oldies that can't get sex anymore and usually have to pay for it.

Speed Queen-obvious

Roid Queen-obvious

Gays can also be a combination of these things but they tend to focus and specialize in one area.

Titushadabaddream said...

Believe it or not there are also straight queens.

I know a couple. They are not bi or haven't come out yet or confused.

They are actually straight but act like queens but I guarantee you they enjoy pussy.

DaLawGiver said...

Chip,

That's a weird dream you had. Last night I dreamed I was Rodney Dangerfield and Al Bundy was porking my dog. Of course my dog ran off with Al and they got married in New Hampster. I don't get no respect I tell ya.

Wince said...

I didn't know Al Bundy was gay.

Well, he does work in a shoe store. I wonder how they managed without him?

sonicfrog said...

BTW, the bartenders at Gay Bars will still have to work. This is "Day Without Gays" not Night Without Gays"

So, that said, I Want To Take You To A Gay Bar!!!!

Freeman Hunt said...

Wouldn't you get fired from most hourly wage jobs if you called in gay? I think most employee handbooks allow for a certain number of sick days and a certain number of planned vacation days, but I don't think that most handbooks include provisions for political statement days.

Ryan said...

Thank you boys for the explanation. The taxonomy of gayness is really impressive.

If I were gay I think I would aspire to be a gym bunny. I've been working out a lot.

Not to long ago I was curious about the whole gay thing, so I went to a couple gay clubs in West Hollywood. I gave it a chance, and even danced with a couple guys, but I just couldn't get into it. Don't say I didn't try!

tjl said...

"If I were gay I think I would aspire to be a gym bunny"

Actually the term we use among ourselves is "gym rat." It sounds hotter than "Gym bunny," which is something only someone like Titus would say.

Methadras said...

dmfoiemjsof said...

Thank you boys for the explanation. The taxonomy of gayness is really impressive.


You know that saying about variety being the spice of life? Well, in the case of the gays, their variety of taxonomies is nothing more than the equivalent of saying it still tastes like chicken. Impressive maybe, but depressing and still lacking nonetheless.