How are gays perceived in the shipping industry?

Professional Mariner Forum
21

That’s sad Cheng…You may want to take this up with CA…He’s been practicing some physcological therapy lately and would love to have a real patient…

22

<img height=“384” width=“512” src="http://tentativeequinox.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/lucy-the-doctor-is-in.jpg[/img]

23

See Cheng…We are just here to help…How do you "feel"about that??

24

To put what people have said in other words, on most ships you are judged more by your work and how you get along with your shipmates. You do your job well and don’t do things to piss people off. Its not that a person has to hide who they are, sexually or in any other way, but you have to be considerate of your shipmates. Don’t subject them to behavior that makes them uncomfortable. Whether thats talking about same sex relations, racists tendencies, or even political views. Yeah, there will be @ssholes out there that don’t get it, but the ships worth sailing on, don’t care what you do at home if you work hard and are a good shipmate.

25

And a reminder to all of us: If something said on board (or on this board, for that matter…) bothers or offends you, and you do nothing to resolve that by communicating directly with the other person, then shame on you. Don’t go crying to the office or to your lawyer first. I’ve seen so many things get blown out of proportion just because people don’t want to sit down and work to resolve it on the boat.

1 Like
26

What happens on the boat, stays on the boat. An age old policy that is dissolving faster than my 401K.

27

Might be urban legend but while back there was scuttlebutt a OS got assigned to a gay tug and told “tug on this or chip the bilge”. He sued and won.

1 Like
28

I wasn’t aware there was "A gay Tug"
Well, a gay tugboat any ways…

1 Like
29

Reminds me of the story my brother told me about his time in the Marines. LCPL Anonymous was sleeping and woke up one night as his Gunny was tugging on his, uh, gun. No one believed him of course, when he tried to deal with it.

30

Maybe if they started killing enough pirates, Paul Watson and his Merrie Pranksters would head for Africa to defend them, 'cause then they’d be victims of the imperialist capitalist shipping industry pigs.

31

So I’ve been sailing for 7 years now. Before I was a graphics designer. Which oddly helped me a lot in understanding blue prints, electrical drawings, and the rest of it. I was never judged outwardly in front of my engine dept co workers, but there have been side bets I was told about, or a chief would blurt out the “f@g” bomb and there is always a talk afterwards with me laying down the ground rules as far as boundaries and respect. Which I’m very happy to say has always been observed. I’ve never gotten into an argument because of it. I don’t make it public knowledge. I only answer those that ask honestly.

I will say that I am constantly proving myself and holding myself to a high standard. Not because it’s being pushed on me, but because it’s a pride thing. I get immense gratification from a job well done, and even more gratification from the occasional looks of surprise from it. I can say that as long as you do your job, you offer help to other shipmates, you’re on time, and civil it’s mostly never an issue. The biggest thing is doing your job well. They can ride you or harass you if they can’t complain about your work ethic and knowledge.

I had one chief from the south that was a homophob, but through months of hard work, and being someone he could rely on I did manage to get him to come around. I was on deck working on a J frame and he came up out of no where and asked, “How’s that POS crane coming along son?” . He caught himself and smiled and said, " Don’t call ya son 'cause your mine. I call ya son 'cause ya shine."

That was probably the biggest compliment I’ve ever gotten from anyone in a work environment.

1 Like
32

This old thread ought to be closed.