by Judi McLeod, Canadafreepress.com
September 24, 2004
Tens of thousands of Royal Bank Canada employees are being asked by bank management to display the Rainbow Triangle on their work desks. In early September, RBC employees arrived at the office to find the directive on their PCs. "The RBC Safe Space (program) is a visible, non-threatening way to show that your desk, cubicle or office is a "safe place" for gay men, bisexuals, transgendered and lesbians," employees were told in the first edition of the bank’s online newsletter, Rainbow Space.
The Safe Space Program, introduced within Service Delivery Central Canada, "highlights the importance of sexual preference as one of RBC’s diversity elements."
Of the Royal Bank’s 60,000 global employees, roughly half are Canadian.
as far as is known, RBC is the first corporate source directing employees to display the Rainbow Triangle in the workplace.
"The Safe Space Program is a voluntary program that is designed to provide a non-threatening way for employees to send the message that homophobia and hostility will not be tolerated within RBC," states Rainbow Space newsletter.
While bank management claims displaying Rainbow Triangle stickers is voluntary, the inference taken from the request is that not showing the sticker could lead to hostility, demotion or job loss. In the wake of Canada’s Bill C-250, which includes sexual orientation in anti-hate legislation, there’s also the threat of a two-year prison term.
although it has a Core Value policy in place, RBC does not seem to have moved any other vulnerable groups under the corporate umbrella of its Safe Space Program.
The timing of the debut of Rainbow Space remains a mystery as in the directive’s advent, there was no indication that homophobia was rampant or even problematic among RBC employees.
The RBC advisory Board, represented by "senior management champions" approved the Rainbow Space directive. Members include Eve Hammond, BSC; Chris Kill, Cash Ops; John Bereaves, PSC; Dean Gray, OSC; Rob Cleugh, SBCD and Jolanta Kedziuerski, Regional Rep.
Under a section entitled, How to be supportive of GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, gendered) Employees, Rainbow Space instructs: "Don’t assume everyone is heterosexual; Don’t permit homophobic jokes or comments; Treat the subject positively, Display your Safe Space sticker."
Complications have already beset the Safe Space initiative.
The program, perhaps unwittingly only reinforces that GLBT bank employees need special protection by having heterosexual colleagues show support by sticker.
It seems lost on RBC management that tolerance for GLBT or any other group cannot be forced or legislated. Commonsense dictates tolerance can only be fostered and nurtured.
"This is an employee-led initiative," Beja Rodeck, senior manager, Media Relations told Canada Free Press. "It represents core values that we espouse and all try to live."
Rodeck said the Rainbow Space newsletter was "put together" by one of the many local diversity councils operating within RBC.
"There was no particular reason behind it. It’s a trial project which will be determined by employee feedback."
Saying it was a "little too early to tell" how employees feel about the Rainbow Space directive, Rodeck conceded that the rhetoric, which seems to accuse the bank’s employees of homophobia, was harsh.
Members of the diversity council, who chose Rainbow Space as a protection option were not communication experts, she said, adding that they had used "huge chunks" of a template that "likely came from the United States".
Meanwhile, there is a move afoot in the Christian Community to rally against Rainbow Space.
"Is this the new corporate Canada?" asked Charles McVety, Canada Christian College President.
"This is a radical change in corporate Canada, and one that RBC has no right to impose on the entire nation.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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