List of spam Architectural firms

[gayarchitect]

Does anyone have a list of spam architectural firms, where openly (visibly) spam and Lesbian architects can work in peace and comfort?

[Donald]

Gaytect, since I sense that there is the knashing of teeth out there on this question, I will give you my take on it. Start with firms that are larger in population of employees...as I'm sure you will fit in with some of the spam community architects and interior decorators.....But to find a firm that is openly all spam might be difficult to find...unless its a single practitioner and is at work for him/herself....or look to a much smaller firm....located in the spam community areas?

Consider this to be an anology for some employers as to the reasons why you might be limited in finding the firm of your choice:

More and more companies are not only refusing to hire smokers, they're firing them. They're getting fired not for smoking on the job .. but for just being smokers. Bad? No ... Good!

In Michigan, Weyco, Inc. has a new policy. They won't hire smokers. They're also requiring all current employees undergo testing to see if they are currently smokers. Presumably this will be a step toward firing all smokers. Employment lawyers say this reeks of discrimination. Well, duh! Of course it's discrimination! It's discrimination against people with unhealthy lifestyles who are going to send your health insurance costs even higher. It's discrimination against people who have been shown to have poor work habits and higher absences from the job. Oh .. and it's discrimination against the stupid and ignorant ... and people who stink. Now don't you think that these are all perfectly good reasons to discriminate?

First of all, don't give me that discrimination nonsense. We all discriminate every day, and nobody thinks anything of it. The simple chore of making a decision between Mexican or Chinese food for lunch is an act of discrimination. To say that someone has "discriminating tastes" is a compliment, not a slam. Smoking isn't a race or a gender, nor is it a religious belief. It's a pathetic, sickening, stupid, self-destructive behavior. It's an act of self-hatred. Discriminate away.

Just consider health insurance. Unfortunately we have come to the point in this country where it is expected that employers will take care of most of the health care for their employees. This unfortunate situation is the primary reason health care costs are seemingly out of control in this country .. but that's another subject for another post. If you, as the employer, are going to be responsible for the cost of your employee's health care then you should be allowed to select employees, and get rid of employees based on any aspects of their lifestyle that would be unhealthy and, therefore, would cost you money.

Do you think it is okay to fire someone on the sole basis that they are a smoker? Not for taking excessive breaks, etc., but only because they smoke.
Yes
No

Nobody would suggest that someone who hires people to drive company vehicles should not be able to discriminate against people with bad driving records. An accident could cost you money, so why not keep the accident-prone dangerous drivers off your payroll? Similarly, a smoker is going to drive up the cost of your health insurance, so why not keep that smoker off your payroll? And higher insurance premiums isn't the only cost you'll have to pay for having smokers on your payroll. Generally speaking, smokers simply aren't as productive in the workplace as are non-smokers. They take more frequent breaks (to do drugs,) and they're absent from work more often due to illness.

And ... to cap it all off ... smokers just aren't all that bright. In repeated trials smokers have scored lower on intelligence tests than non-smokers. Smoking, then, is an excellent way for you to get an immediate indication of who has common sense, and who doesn't . OK .. I know that there are exceptions, but across the board the rule holds. An employer who has a policy of simply not hiring smokers, and getting rid of employees who do smoke, is going to have a smarter, more capable workforce than will an employer who hires these pathetic drug addicts.

So there. If you're a smoker, don't direct your anger at me. I'm not your problem. YOU are your problem. You need to figure out why you hate yourself and why you're so bent on self-destruction. I don't know the answer to that question. You do. Start figuring it out.

Now this example may be taking it to the far right extreme, but you are essentially trying to look for employment where discrimination in the workforce isn't frowned upon ...start operning up to the rest of the world of architecture firms and never let your guard down on working with the straightarchitect....or you'll be eliminating 99% of the firms in this country

[Donald]

You can also join the AIA Diversity Committee, which strives to expand the diversity of the design profession to mirror society that we serve; promoting awareness of the contributions of architects from underrepresented racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability groups:
www.aia.org/diversity

Take a look at their publication regarding improvements iof Diversity in the Architecture Profession:
http://www.aia.org/SiteObjects/files/NACDiversityWhitePaper.pdf

It may give you a diferent outlook on how they are recommending making changes within the profession.