Discrimination Confusion – The Human

Discrimination Confusion – The Human Rights Campaign has just released a report rating companies on their gay-friendly personnel policies.

According to the Washington Post article on the report, Peter Sprigg of the conservative Family Research Council blamed creeping political correctness for the increasing acceptance of gays and said “protection against bias is appropriate only when a trait is inborn, such as sex or race.”

Representing the opposing view was Donald J. Carty, chairman and CEO of American Airlines, who argued:

Taking a stand against discrimination — whether based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or anything else — is not politically correct. It is simply correct, and it is the right thing to do.

These two deserve each other. According to the Family Research Council, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of, say, religion is inappropriate (unless the FRC belives religious genes are inherited, which I suppose it might). And American Airlines opposes discrimination on the basis of anything at all (“or anything else”). Perhaps the next wannabe pilot who fails an eye exam (physical disability!) should remind Chairman Carty of this non-discrimination policy.

We will never have sensible anti-discrimination policies unless we can agree on what discrimination is.