Gender Identity Crisis

This week I hired a male receptionist and you'd have thought I'd resurrected Sodom and Gomorah.

My new job is for a company that is predominantely male focused. Better than 90 percent of our clients are men, and the old-guard management team believes that these clients would only be comfortable being greeted by a woman receptionist. One of the partners actually told me he wanted me to hire a model. Have you ever hired a receptionist? Do you know the kind of person who works for $12 an hour? It isn't Heidi Klum. The kid we hired is a struggling actor. He's a little rough around the edges, but he's clean, competent and conscious. At that salary level you really can't ask for more.

But the temper tantrums from the middle managers, complete with electronic snide comments have just begun. The first hit my e-mail box just before I left work this afternoon. The first temper tantrum, complete with stomping off and slamming doors, happened yesterday. This morning I went in and spoke to the new CEO. He told me to ignore them. He didn't come right out and say that these little babies were breathing their last company air, but he that was the message. He gave me a glimpse of his plans and told me to "gird" myself for the fall out.

Before our conversation, I was prepared to resign. Of course, behind all of this is some archaic homophobia. Who knows what the new receptionist does in the wee hours of the morning? And who cares, but I wrote the job description, and there was nothing in there about performing sexual favors.

As a rule, I hate seeing employees being fired, but when that doo doo hits the fan, I'm going to be front row, center to see the splat.