Calling in gay? (Erin)

A new form of gay rights protest is taking shape: same-sex marriage supporters are calling for people to "call in gay" and stay home from work on Wednesday:

Some same-sex marriage supporters are urging people to "call in gay" Wednesday to show how much the country relies on gays and lesbians, but others question whether it's wise to encourage skipping work given the nation's economic distress. Organizers of "Day Without a Gay" -- scheduled to coincide with International Human Rights Day and modeled after similar work stoppages by Latino immigrants -- also are encouraging people to perform volunteer work and refrain from spending money.

Sean Hetherington, a West Hollywood comedian and personal trainer, dreamed up the idea with his boyfriend, Aaron Hartzler, after reading online that a few angry gay-rights activists were calling for a daylong strike to protest California voters' passage last month of Proposition 8, which reversed this year's state Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage.

The couple thought it would be more effective and less divisive if people were asked to perform community service instead of staying home with their wallets shut. Dozens of nonprofit agencies, from the National Women's Law Center in Washington to a Methodist church in Fresno collecting food for the homeless, have posted opportunities for volunteers on the couple's Web site. [...]

Scott Craig, a fifth-grade teacher at Independence Charter School in Philadelphia, had no problem requesting and being granted the day off. So many of the school's 60 teachers were eager to show support for gay rights they had to make sure enough stayed behind to staff classrooms.

About 25 teachers plan to take Wednesday off and to have their work covered by substitutes while they discuss ways to introduce gay issues to their students and volunteer at the local branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, Craig said. A letter telling parents why so many teachers would be out went home Monday.

"We want to get the conversation going in the community that gay is not bad," Craig said. "For kids to hear that in a positive light can be life-changing."

I want to be kind, here. No, really, I do--I may not agree with the aims of those who want gay marriage, but I respect the right of Americans to engage in protest speech in all its forms, and can appreciate an attempt to create a widespread, non-violent, creative approach of this sort.

But here's the thing: corporate America has a lot of supporters of gay rights. Diversity programs at many major U.S. companies specifically include discussions about homosexuals and their right to work without harassment or intolerance. Many companies choose to offer various benefits to same-sex partners, and some companies openly sided with the gay rights movement and opposed Proposition 8, even if this made them a target for boycotts from those who supported the traditional definition of marriage.

So creating a protest action that will adversely affect employers, especially in this economy, may not be the most beneficial strategy to adopt. And if protests like the "Day Without a Gay" catch on, employers may start to wonder why they're being unfairly punished by the very people--gay marriage activists--whom more than a few companies already agree with and publicly support.