8 hours ago8 hr 20 hours ago, Lindsey. said:Idek if this is the right thread to post this but I'm sure someone will move it if needed!It's more of a general rant, I'm just losing faith in humanity as each day goes on. You read about everything that's happening in the US and think "god, at least we'll never be that bad" but honestly we are so headed that way and I don't think I quite realised just how quickly it's happening until recently. I'm quite fortunate in that a lot of my friends and the people I surround myself with all share similar views on y'know basic human rights etc but I'm constantly being challenged on my views at work right now (by a group of ignorant young white men no less) and it's really getting to me. I work in an environment where as a gay woman I am the minority, I have a colleague who is also a gay woman but the 10 other men we work with are all the text book definition of socially privileged. There are a few that I know agree with me and my colleague but they won't verbally back us, they just shy away from the topics or try to put a stop to the discussion which doesn't actually help. It's became more of a problem at work recently as we have a new apprentice who is 19 years old, thinks he knows everything but has some of the most horrific and backwards views I've ever heard but he doesn't have the knowledge to back up why he feels the way he does, hes obviously just regurgitating stuff he's heard elsewhere. He constantly uses offensive slurs regarding race, disabilities, sexuality, just everything and I call him out every time which just makes him try and debate with me, thinking he's smart or something. 100% he's doing it as a way to try and talk down at me as a woman and thinks it's going to win him brownie points with the other bigoted guys in my team. I just don't really know how to approach it as the only other person that speaks up is the other woman I work with and nothing I've tried so far is getting through to him.People are entitled to their own opinions but I just don't think human rights and treating people equally should ever be a matter of debate and the use of slurs is just never justified? There's so many other words you can use in place of those ones that won't offend anyone but you're actively choosing the ones that will cause a reaction? He says this in front of our manager as well and he just doesn't say anything, the 19 year old's argument is always "well there's no ____ people in here so how can I offend them?"I've told him I'm going to start making a list of every slur or offensive term he uses and write an appropriate word next to it that he can use instead and he'll need to study it every day until he learns what's okay and what isn't and I'm genuinely serious 😅I’m not sure if the environment you work in but that would never be acceptable in the civil service. Is there an equality commission style bureau in Scotland - if so you could take the company to the cleaners.
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