Woman allegedly quits job over organisation’s anti-SSM views
Image: Anderson and her brother. Image: Supplied.
A Melbourne-based woman has allegedly quit her job after discovering that a handful of employees in the small organisation are against marriage equality in Australia.
Sharon Anderson posted the news in an LGBTI support group on Facebook, stating that while she’s straight, she feels quite strongly about the issue.
“I realised that I can’t work with such people. I just can’t,” she wrote.
“They don’t want our organisation to appear ‘biased’ towards either side lest they upset people. They think it’s all too political.
“They want me to agree to disagree. Yeah, nup. No can do.”
Anderson, who works in event organising and preferred not to disclose her former employer, added that there were a lot of straight people that felt the same way as her.
“We’re with you one hundred per cent,” she wrote.
“I don’t want to work for an organisation who won’t stand up for what’s right.
“Hell, I couldn’t even be friends with a ‘no’ voter.”
The post, which was initially put up roughly a week ago, has since received over 400 reactions and 100 comments.
Speaking to the Star Observer, Anderson said she was “blown away” by the reaction to her post.
“The gorgeous responses I have received just reconfirm to me that I made the right decision in resigning from that position,” she said.
“It hit me very hard when I realised that key people in the small organisation I worked for were anti-marriage equality. I took it deeply personally.
“I know some people say I should’ve stayed and tried to change their opinion – but I did try, and it was painfully obvious their opinions weren’t going to change.”
She said it was a conversation with her gay brother that really opened her eyes on the issue.
“He told me that he gets a tear in his eye every time he attends a straight friend’s wedding and the celebrant says ‘marriage is between a man and a woman’,” she said.
“So I started up a Facebook page and Instagram account, Straight Support for Marriage Equality, just a very small way of showing my love and support.
“I believe everyone deserves the exact same legal rights.”
Voting in the marriage equality postal survey is open until November 7, with results to be announced the following week.
Would be good to know who they are so we can boycott them.
With the potential of future LGBTIQ wedding opportunities, it’s not a wise decision for an events organisation to shoot themselves in the foot if it doesn’t go ahead.