Well how about gay/lesbian members?

[stephen]

Hey guys, I have a question for you-it is my first time at the forum-but my q is a 5 yrs ago, my brother was stopped by the police (he wasnt arrested, just being mouthy when they questioned his friend), is this going to be a problem for me (after all my brother and I are related to each other)-my brother hasnt had any encounters with the police ever since, he doesn't have a criminal record, but his friend he was with isn't a good guy, I believe he is now well known to the police, but my brother is no longer friends with him...all my friends I associate with and all my immediate family are good people...will this past dealing my brother had be a problem??

Stephen

[journey2cps-redux]

Doubt it...but then again, I'm not a recruiter.

[Bob]

Gee, thanks there DR.PHIL,but when i need free psychoanlysis, i seek a professional.

[guest3]

Right... I like how you chose to reply to the comments that you had a quick come back for. But ignored the comments that made sense like Journey's.

You went off on Marcus and you obviously missed that he wasn't even directing his post at you... plus the fact that you didn't even consider the fact that he might be gay.

You do have issues Bob and that is blatantly obvious from your posts... if you don't want comments then ummmm maybe "don't post".

[craig]

my ass you homos!

[wannabegendarme]

Hey all, I'm not sure if this question applies here, but I listen to a lot of American radio, and I heard the other day that there is a long-time male member of the NYPD Who just anounced that he is becoming a she. He is already taking homones and is awaiting the operation. Aparently the officerwas in rool call one morning and after roll was finished, he asked to speak to the assembled officers. According to the newspaper quoted, - the "Daily News", or the "New York Post" i think, - there was no problem with it in the force. The talk radio show I listen to however has quite a few NYPD fans and they were calling up and saying that they are not comfortable with the situation and didn't like the idea. The officers who called in pretty much said that they thought s/he would be better suited to an internal office job, and not the beat. I don't know how much of this is the actual sentiment of the NYPD officers, or whether it was portrayed this way for the sake of good radio. By the way, the show I listen to is a NY show. I am a secure hetro male and 30 yrs old. I don't believe that your sexual orientation has any bearing on how well you do your job - be it as a police officer or any other profession. What I do believe is that although your sexuallity may not have any effect on your performance of duties, the same cannot be said of the people you work with. To try and put my thinking is a better context, imagine this:
My partner and I are on patrol and run into a situation where we need back-up. The back-up comes and one of the officers in the duo is known to be gay. The officer in this hypothetical question, his partner and I may have no problem with that fact, but if the officer I am paired with is more concerned about how a fully trained, capable, but gay officer is going to perform, than with his own duties at that moment, my life is in danger. This is a subject that can be discussed at length, and I don't have an easy answer. This only seems to apply to the gay men, because in the hetro male sub-culture we have here in North America, the idea of lesbianism in the male mind is erotic. I can't explain the homophobia that is present in the society we live in, I don't have the schooling. What I do have is an open and inquisitve mind and I enjoy thinking, solving and debating problems. I seem to have seen quite a few posts here attacking on the personal level, and I would like to see this thread bend towards a more intelligent level.
Thanks for lending me your ears(eyes).

[richie]

Well, it seems to me that the homophobic officer is the problem in this hypothetical situation...maybe the dept shouldn't have hired him in the first place. Hopefully, by having more minorities in the forces, people will get used to the idea of diversity and respect and will really understand and mean it (instead of putting on a good show just for the interviews)!

Richie

[wannabegendarme]

Please don't get me wrong. I agree completely with you that the homophobic officer is the problem, but how do you identify the problem or correct it until it is too late? All I am trying to say is that because sexuality should not be a concern, why do gay officers have to "out" themselves? If you think that sexuality should not be an issue and should not be a problem with co-workers, then why bring it into the open and make it a topic for discussion. When you start to talk about it in a situation where it should have no bearing on the situation - ie. "the job", then it all of a sudden it DOES have an impact on how you and the other people around you perform. Quite simply, if you want no attention, and do not want to discuss a situation or lifestyle in the workplace, do not bring it up and make a topic out of it. People are naturally curious and will think about what they hear. The kind of people chosen for this job, (suppodedly the more intelligent of the population), will naturally have minds more prone to thinking about a problem. It might be a problem that they alone percieve, or one involving
more of a group dynamic. Sorry, I kind of ramble on sometimes, but the fact that this thread even exists proves my point. I will discuss almost anything will anybody, but if you don't want to talk about it, don't bring it up.

[a friend]

Hey richie, you should consider halifax,or the atlantic police academy in P.E.I.I had a gay guy friend there about 7 years ago and he had no problems.Of course he was 6'5 and bulit like a brick shithouse so nobody dared say anything to him. Also halifax is a very young force with a good atitude on these issues.Not of course like Alberta ;D

[richie]

This thread does serve a purpose and will let applicants who are gay/lesbian know that their sexuality does not preclude them from a career in law enforcement (this is still the perception in my case at least)

I don't necessary "out" myself but during casual conversations with coworkers, they'll notice that i don't share their enthusiam i.e. checking out girls when we're in the patrol car or talk about a girl friend or wife...when asked, i'll say that i'm gay but i don't go around volunteering that piece information at work. Sexuality is part of my "self" and it would be great one day when i could talk about my partner/family/boyfriend at work just like my straight couterparts and be accepted. In a perfect world, no one would make an issue of my sexuality at work...hopefully, with the progress we've made so far in Canada, this would be attainable in the near future.

richie

quote author=wannabegendarme board=1 thread=1105727570 post=1119967205]Please don't get me wrong. I agree completely with you that the homophobic officer is the problem, but how do you identify the problem or correct it until it is too late? All I am trying to say is that because sexuality should not be a concern, why do gay officers have to "out" themselves? If you think that sexuality should not be an issue and should not be a problem with co-workers, then why bring it into the open and make it a topic for discussion. When you start to talk about it in a situation where it should have no bearing on the situation - ie. "the job", then it all of a sudden it DOES have an impact on how you and the other people around you perform. Quite simply, if you want no attention, and do not want to discuss a situation or lifestyle in the workplace, do not bring it up and make a topic out of it. People are naturally curious and will think about what they hear. The kind of people chosen for this job, (suppodedly the more intelligent of the population), will naturally have minds more prone to thinking about a problem. It might be a problem that they alone percieve, or one involving
more of a group dynamic. Sorry, I kind of ramble on sometimes, but the fact that this thread even exists proves my point. I will discuss almost anything will anybody, but if you don't want to talk about it, don't bring it up.[/quote]

[richie]

Thanks for the info!

richie

a said:

Hey richie, you should consider halifax,or the atlantic police academy in P.E.I.I had a gay guy friend there about 7 years ago and he had no problems.Of course he was 6'5 and bulit like a brick shithouse so nobody dared say anything to him. Also halifax is a very young force with a good atitude on these issues.Not of course like Alberta ;D

[jack]

Thanks, you have inspired me to apply for the force! I love this site!

[K bro]

Im a redneck and Im from Alberta....and Ive been in law enforcement for 5 years now. I couldnt care less about what my partner does at home as long as at work he's about the task at hand. I wouldnt stand for anything other than that from the other people in the office. We have it bad enough from the public without digging at our co workers because he/she/it likes dudes/chicks/horses.

[richie]

Well said K bro!

Richie

[Fomrerly Cpl Mike]

why be concerned about what people think of your lifestyle? as long as you and YOU alone are willing to face GOD on your life choices, then let that be that! As far a police officer is concerned - are you qualified under the tenets placed on any other applicant ? Do you do things that are outside the law?(ie, drug use, engage in lewd acts which are prohibited by law,worship satan, eat children???!!!!) if the answer is "no" and I hope it is, then worry only about doing the RIGHT thing as a future Mountie and a citizen of Canada..When you are off duty and at home, your life is your life, and your future partner(s) will see you only as a good Cop and a friend when you treat others respectfully and do a good job( No body cares about what me and my fat butt girlfriend do when I'm off, so I doubt if they'll care about what you and your significant other does either) just my 2 cents from the "lower" provinces............lolololol