I鈥橵E always had a day job.
My fledging career in customer service began at 14 with two after school shifts at the local McDonald鈥檚. I was paid minimum wage (roughly $13.50 per hour) to clean the grease off tables and flurry McFlurries. I lasted three weeks 鈥� fired for leaving the soft serve machine running throughout my break. Shortly after came my stint at Subway (鈥渨hy didn鈥檛 you offer that lady a cookie?鈥�), followed by a cameo at Boost Juice (鈥測ou really don鈥檛 know how to use a can-opener?鈥�) and 鈥� once I turned 18 鈥� a three-month residency collecting glasses at Stonewall Hotel on Sydney鈥檚 Oxford St (鈥渢here鈥檚 shit on the bathroom walls again, grab a mop鈥�).
[showads聽ad=MREC]The following six years passed in a twisted kaleidoscope of hit-and-miss creative endeavours and shift work in hospitality. Despite my numerous career-specific shortcomings, I recall thinking how strange it was that an industry named after basic human etiquette and entertainment could, in some ways, be so very unpleasant.
I鈥檓 referring to a particular brand of casual homophobia.
Just as a woman might have her intelligence or workplace authority undermined or trivialised by gendered labels such as 鈥渂itch鈥�, a gay man鈥檚 attempt at being stern or asserting himself will often be misconstrued as laughable or sassy. It should come as no surprise, either. If there鈥檚 one thing we鈥檝e learned from the mainstream media鈥檚 representation of gay men, it鈥檚 that we鈥檙e all bursting at the seams with Will Truman sass and Jack McFarland LOLs.
For a community historically steeped in the social defensive, are we still being viewed as unnatural candidates for positions of leadership and/or authority? Are we not being seen as inherently firm enough to deliver unfavoured news? Simply put: is it possible for a gay man to 鈥減ut his foot down鈥� with a pointed toe?
Casual homophobia is rampant in customer service. I鈥檓 guessing it has something to do with status. Climbing the slippery rungs of any given corporate ladder demands a certain level of respect (or fear) from those beneath you, regardless of bigotry or narrow-mindedness, whereas those working in customer service remain shackled by the same 鈥渃ustomer is always right鈥� mantra.
Every insult is deserved and somehow brought upon ourselves.
I鈥檒l never forget being made to apologise to the man who, only moments earlier, had called me a 鈥渇aggot鈥� for refusing him service (he was already white-girl-wasted). I was working in a crowded northern beaches bar in Sydney and my response (something along the lines of 鈥渓eave before I get security鈥�) was promptly dismissed by management as a display of hysterical faggotry.
The customer ended up stumbling away with more than just an apology 鈥� rewarded with a free schooey of Carlton for his troubles. The customer is always right.
Interestingly, my heterosexual male colleagues 鈥� when reacting similarly to similar instances of workplace disrespect 鈥� would often receive the unwavering support of managerial staff. Perhaps this is the irony of living in an inclusive environment: when homophobic behaviour does arise (however rarely) it鈥檚 often mislabeled as regular, everyday rudeness, with the victim branded 鈥渙verly sensitive鈥�. It鈥檚 my particular tone of voice, they might tell me, or my 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be here鈥� expression.
Nope.
Neither my slight lisp (鈥済ay accent鈥�) nor facial configuration (鈥渞esting bitch face鈥�) are an invitation to slander, intimidate or verbally abuse me. The customer isn鈥檛 always right. Sometimes the customer is drunk or tired or having a bad morning. Sometimes the customer falls back on outdated social stereotypes, prejudices or assumptions.
When that is the case, we shouldn鈥檛 be expected to compromise ourselves in the name of convenience.
HOMOS ON HIATUS are creative duo Samuel Leighton-Dore and Bradley Tennant. Their blog celebrates homo-heroes and inclusive ideas. You can find them at or on Instagram: . You can also follow Samuel on Twitter:
To read Samuel Leighton-Dore’s previous columns聽for Star Observer,
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**This article was first published in the November聽edition of the Star Observer, which is . To obtain a physical copy, to find out where you can grab one in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and select regional/coastal areas.
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