When you think of things that are considered "NSFW," your mind probably doesn't go to the gay pride flag. And yet, here we are.
Michelle Hurn, a registered dietician at Boulder Community Health in Colorado and out lesbian, told local ABC affiliate KMGH that her employer told her to take down her pride flag screen saver after a co-worker complained about it. She said her boss told her to delete the image or she would be fired from her job. Uh. Say what now?
"I'm certainly not looking for special treatment or preferential treatment, but to say that a symbol of equality is offensive — I have a real problem with that," Hurn told KMGH.
Hurn said that she met with hospital administrators several times to speak of the issue, but they failed to be supportive of her position.
“I was very surprised that HR, my boss, the director of our department, they all told me they like me, they think I'm a good dietitian, they think I do great work, but if I'm going to put the symbol back up, then they're going to start the discipline process and that I was going to be fired," she said.
Hurn has since decided to quit her job.
After Hurn's story broke, president and CEO of Boulder Community Health, Rob Vissers, released a statement in response to the allegations that the company wasn't "supportive of the LGBTQI community and its allies." He said:
BCH unequivocally supports the right of all employees to be part of a welcoming and safe workplace. We are proud to be a community owned and operated health system that reflects the deeply held values of tolerance and inclusiveness that define Boulder.
Vissers also said in his statement that Hurn was never "threatened with termination" and that she was "offered to have formal or informal mediation with her coworker but declined that option and chose to resign."
Either way, I think we can all agree that the image of a pride flag on your screen saver is indeed SFW.