Tattwho Do You Think You Are?
Think before you ink.
Most of you have probably seen a link to this petition on your Facebook/Tumblr/Twitter/trendy-social-media-site lately.
The campaign aims:
“In conjunction with www.SoTattooed.com, we believe that people who choose to express themselves in the way they best see fit will continue to receive discrimination when trying to get a respectable job. Body modification is as much a choice as religion, which is included in equal opportunity employment. Make Equal Opportunity equal!”
That’s right folks. Stop focusing on those people who have to face racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, religious hatred or any other plethora of equality act violations. Focus instead on the poor sods who chose body modification.
Usually all of this can be ignored, but today, this link was accompanied by:
“Back in the 60’s you could make the same argument about people of other races”
Electing to get a nose piercing or tattooing ‘L O V E’ and ‘H A T E’ across your knuckles means that you absolutely understand the suffering of those who experienced racism in the 60s. Oh, the burden they must carry.
If you still think that it’s discrimination to refuse to hire someone because they have body modifications, you’re wrong. Here’s why:
1) Body modifications are a CHOICE. You can take out a piercing, you can’t peel off your skin.
2) Would you honestly want a surgeon to operate on you in a swimming costume because they were expressing themselves?
3) You want a job with a strict dress code? Get mods that can be flipped, hidden or removed. It’s not hard.
4) If you can conform to dress code standards then you’re fine, if not then you’ll be ringing alarm bells (exactly like you would if you showed up for an interview in a tracksuit.)
5) Dress codes can be there for a reason, facial piercings and industrial equipment don’t always mix well.
Body mods can be absolutely beautiful, but that does not mean it’s okay to charge through life accusing people of discrimination if they don’t employ you because of them. Sometimes it’s just not appropriate, that doesn’t mean you understand someone who has suffered discrimination due to something they didn’t choose.
Companies have a need to look professional, as long as you can work within that, you’re fine. Find a company image you like, comply to it. If you’re not happy with that, start your own business. Get body mods you can live with.