Is my work being homophobic?

it does seem wrong

have you tried going on to its straight equivilant

if it aint blocked put in a complaint

It's unlikely that your company has come up with its own filter, so it may be that the filter they bought is a bit too sensitive. But before you assume it's targeting the word"gay," try doing a search for the terms "gay rights" and "gay marriage" and see if those get blocked. If not, then you can probably conclude that something else on the site you're trying to visit is triggering the filter.

Also, even if your job is using an effectively homophobic filter, it may or may not be against the law depending on where you work. While many cities and some states prohibit anti-gay discrimination in the work place, many don't. And there is no federal law protecting gays against workplace discrimination. If you don't have any legal protection, you might want to think hard about whether your company is likely to change its filter just because it is offensive to gays.

If you do determine that the filter is effectively homophobic, I'd proceed cautiously. Be 100% sure that nothing about the site you're trying to visit violates your company's internet usage policy. Visiting an on line personals ad may or may not. I've never seen a company that would allow the use of its computers to visit a personals site - gay or straight.

Also, be aware that most companies' internet policy usage rules are are mainly concerned with protecting their computer systems from viruses and with protecting themselves from potential liability from improper usage.

Are you allowed to go to other personals sites like Match.com and eHarmony and things like that (sites that the sole purpose is for personals ads)? If so, then you can ask the question as to why the gay personals site is blocked when straight personals sites are allowed.

If you cannot get to those sites either, then it's probably just that your company has a policy about people using the internet for dating sites.

My advice is to do some more research on what is and isn't allowed before making a big stink about the company being homophobic because it may be something else entirely. Also, my first action would be to request that if the other sites are allowed, they allow this one as well. If they refuse, then you have better standing in complaining to management.

Well, if they have the capability to block sites, then they are computer literate. They will also have the capability to monitor when you are accessing the internet, and if it is not at lunch time, they could terminate you for disobeying company rules. So, do you wish to persue this under that scenario? And yes, I agree with you. Someone at your work place is likely homophobic, and that is what is driving the blockage of that particular URL. Either that or they have already monitored your usage and blocked sites that you go to, in which they don't like you personally, and probably still for homophobic reasons. My advice = Leave it alone. It will only make things worse for you.

You know I really wouldn't worry about it. They probably are just filtering our key words... But the reason I'm say don't worry about it, is to not make waves. The last company I worked for had strict internet and it use to block sites, banner ads, pop ups all the time, all while giving you a violation. Yes I received one going to whitepages.com for some banner ad. I didn't complain about any of it and nothing happened from the warnings.

I did have other problems there when I was openly gay. So I learned my lesson to just keep being gay part of me, but not to let it define me. Not everyone in this world, no matter how they speak, is truly for gay rights/equality. With that in mind I just wouldn't go to that website and save it for when I got home from work. Big businesses don't care so much about you or your personal life, unless it's affecting your ability to continue being a worker bee. So be careful & good luck!

You mention that "some websites have been blocked including gaydargirls.com." If these other sites were sex sites of various types for straight people as well, then I don't think it was "homophobic." However, if they made provisions for only gay sites to be blocked, they are guilty as charged. I'm gay, but I don't think any type of porno belongs in the workplace, and they doubtless have a similar view.

Unfortunately, you're going to have to lump it because it is entirely within their prerogative to do this. It sucks, I know, but they've arrived at this because of a whole generation of workers wasting away the workday on various websites, and so it's justifiable as "good business practice," etc.

Complaining would be a mistake. First, it would reveal you as someone who probably surfs during the workday, an undesirable trait (rightfully so) in an employer's eyes and secondly, since gay websites are believed to be ~90% porno, it would be difficult to convince your employer that you weren't pursuing prurient pursuits while "while on the dime."

Say nothing, and be grateful that you can play Solitaire, if they haven't gone and yanked that, as well.

From what I've seen, filters are not super accurate, so I would not jump to conclusions and blame the IT department or the company. The main reason you are at work is to provide a service to the company, not to surf on the Internet. If you tell your employer that you believe they are being homophobic, they may think you do not have the interests of the company as your own. This is a very delicate matter. Personally, I would not say anything if you value your career.

It's most likely just a mindless filter they're using. At my previous job, I used to research electronic parts. Some genius way back when decided to name the different ends of a connector the "male" and "female" ends. When I was looking on a manufacturer's website for connectors, I'd get blocked by the company filter because the word "male" or "female" came up in the search.

So they're probably not homophobic.....

Just email IT and say that it's not a porn site.

Doubt they're homophobic, it's likely just a random filter, probably set for most hetero folk who go looking for gay porn from work.

Also neat thing is you can argue that you should be allowed personal net use any time, it's shown to improve productivity strangely enough.

They are not being homophobic. Just try and calm yourself down and see that you are being slightly over the top about this, are you prone to bouts of hysteria?? lol.

Plenty of firms have a filter for the Internet as many employees do take the piss and would look at porn when they are supposed to be working whether they are gay, straight or bi. No-one is being nasty or directing a subtle message to you...

It may be homophobic. Infact this does sound homophobic to me. You might not have the whole story here, because mabey their is another reason for this. Find out why it was bloked before you go into the anti-homophobia mode. If it is purely for the 'gay' in the title i would see if there is a discrimination law you can use.

Good luck,

Ps, gaydargirls.com rocks. : )