I forget sometimes how caddy and prejudice people can be. I recommended the movie “The Help”, where some “ladies” in Mississippi, back in the 60's, thought it was quite acceptable to treat their Black maids with utter distain and disrespect. Fast forward to 2011, where so much has changed and yet, so much hasn’t. The way in which “some” people are treated and frowned upon, reminds me of that 60's era, redux.
I’m not speaking of people of color, but gays, lesbians and transgendered. I know for a fact that the ATA – American Trucking Association, DOT – Department of Transportation, OOIDA – Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association and the trucking companies themselves, have no idea how many drivers are LGBT – gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgendered.
This is another area that is ignored by everyone, especially the trucking press. I don’t think we’ll see a lesbian trucker profiled on the cover of Pilot Challenge Magazine or interviewed by Kevin Lockridge on Sirius/XM satellite radio, discussing the challenges they face on the road.
Here’s a good source for further information, catalyst.org. In general, “determining the size of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender population in the U.S. is, at best, difficult, and at worst, impossible, due to the indirect nature of the data collection. One 2011 study found approximately 3.5% of the U.S. population is lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and .3% is transgender. Based on approximately 150 surveys, Witeck-Combs Communications, estimates that 6.7% of Americans are LGBT.
- Almost two-fifths (39%) of lesbian, gay or bisexual individuals in America’s workplaces report facing some form of hostility or harassment on the job due to sexual orientation. 11% experience very frequent or frequent harassment or discrimination
- 19% LGBT employees reported barriers in promotion due to their sexual orientation/gender identity. -Almost one in ten lesbian and gay adults state they were fired or dismissed unfairly from a previous job or pressured to quit a job because of their sexual orientation.
- A small study of 155 transgender participants by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Transgender Law Center found that nearly 1 in 2 transgender people have experienced employment discrimination.
- Another study found 90% of transgender individuals had experienced harassment or mistreatment on the job, or took steps to avoid it.
- Forty-seven percent of individuals in the same study had either been fired, not hired, or denied a job promotion due to being transgender/gender non-conforming.”
I believe the stats accurately reflect the LGBT population in the trucking industry. Pure speculation, but, I would say that there are more LGBT truckers as compared to the total driver numbers – percentage-wise -than in other job fields. I believe the independence, freedom and choices are more desirable as opposed to other vocations. “You’re” out there, doing your thing, not confined to being in an office, working side by side others with a boss constantly supervising what you’re doing. Just what straight drivers desire as well.
But, I don’t necessarily want to focus in on one industry. Did you see the recent Domino’s commercial featuring Jess Hreniuk? What about the reaction to Chas Bono as a contestant on the popular television series Dancing With The Stars? Where I live, a few years ago, a transgendered city manager was terminated because the local population was “uncomfortable” with “her”. Do I have to tell you the reaction from truckers when a gay pride parade is reported on by the news? How about an “openly” gay man reporting for orientation for a trucking job? The President can’t decide whether it’s acceptable for gays and lesbians to marry, as if he should even have a say.
In so many respects, for the LGBT “community”, it is still the 60's. One politician suggested that parents shouldn’t allow their kids to watch Dancing With The Stars because Chas Bono is competing? Another stating that references to the LGBT “lifestyle” should be eliminated from school books. Don’t we have enough problems to solve without any more discrimination in this country? Let’s leave the 60's behind us, way behind us.
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