Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 08:02:51 -0500 (EST) From: David Casti Subject: ACTION ALERT: KFC Orders Stores to Not Hire "Obvious" Gays Hi folks, There have been some messages about this rattling around the net for the last week or so. Here's something you can sink your teeth into. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Casti Pager: (800) 980-6227 Information Scientist http://www.casti.com/casti/David.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Submitted by: Jeff Jones (Contact numbers/addresses at bottom) STORY OF ANTI-GAY BIAS CHARGED AT KFC (KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN) (Note: KFC is headquartered in Louisville, KY) Reprinted from the Fairness Campaign (Louisville) Newsletter, without permission) Denise Bentley, the manager of a W. Main St. (Louisville) Kentucky Fried Chicken store, reports that she hired a man away from another fast food chain because she says that he was an extremely efficient and courteous worker. He was openly gay and told her so in the job interview. "I didn't care what he was," Bentley said. "I saw that he was a good worker, and I wanted him in my store." But soon the KFC management representative who regularly visits the stores told Bentley to terminate the man because KFC did not want gay employees. Bentley refused. She told her supervisor that she had no grounds to fire the man because he was doing an excellent job. The management representative repeated the order to Bentley several times when he visited the store. She continued to refuse. Finally, on a day when she was off from work, the management representative fired the man. He filed for unemployment compensation; the company opposed it, and told Bentley not to come to the hearing. Top management would handle it. But the man's lawyer subpoenaed Bentley, and she came. She testified that the man's work record was excellent, and that she knew of no valid reason for his dismissal. The man got his unemployment compensation. At a meeting soon thereafter, according to Bentley, KFC told its store managers that they must not hire people who are "obviously" gay or lesbian- whatever that means. Charges of racial discrimination have also been leveled against KFC in other cases. Protests against these injustices continue n Louisville each Saturday at 11:30am at the KFC at 19th and Broadway. (excerpted in turn from KY Alliance against Racist and Political Repression) Call and express your concern about this policy and the treatment of KFC's workers: 1-800-CALL KFC (1-800-225-5532) or Write: Attn.: John Cranor, CEO Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation 1441 Gardiner Ln. Louisville, KY 40213-1914 also: (502) 456-8300 ----Jeff Jones-----------------------------jajone02@ukcc.uky.edu--------------