A British Columbia coffee shop went viral after posting a help wanted ad on Instagram that sparked backlash because well, it was extremely racist and discriminatory.
The racism was targeted at heterosexual white males – which I am surprised even caused an uproar!
Maybe there is hope after-all...
Bows & Arrows Coffee Roasters put up the help wanted ad, very casually, like all business do but that last little line felt a bit umm... unnecessary.
The coffee shop advertising the positions they were looking to fill – baristas, counter staff, music heads, part time roaster and kitchen help. They asked folks to DM or email them their resumes BUT "At this time, yt [white] CIS males are back of the line," the post stated.
Literally telling a group of people that they have to stay at the back of the line just because the colour of their skin and sexual orientation... sounds awfully familiar. 🤔
The post got over 1,000 comments and they were almost all extremely critical.
Once the comments started flooding in, the coffee shop added to the original post explaining that white cisgender males "often apply with little to no experience and presume their affinity and enthusiasm for coffee will grant them equal or favourable standing."
Sound like real go-getters to me!
User comments obtained by The Post Millennial:
"I love how they're using a cis white man in their advertisement, but if that very man were to apply for the position, he would be rejected," wrote one user. "Just lol."
"You missed the mark with your harsh over correction. This is bigotry," wrote another.
"Why don't you just hire the most qualified person," said a third, "I thought we stopped putting people at the back of the bus..."
Not only were people extremely bothered by this, but one user offered a great lesson that I, and probably this woke coffee shop, never considered.
One user who says they are part of the LGBTQ community wrote a brilliant response accusing the coffee shop of trying to "collect queer/POC employees like they're trading cards."
Since they went viral (in the bad way), the coffee shop's (white cis male) co-owner posted an apology – but not to the white cis males.
The "apology" post read:
"Firstly, I would like to apologize directly to any members of the LGBTQ2SP+ & BIPOC communities that may have read our de-prioritizing the hiring of CIS white males as therefore a requisite for outing oneself if not presenting or as passing as white and CIS. As we've said before, intentions don't matter and this aspect of the post I would change had I done it over again."
"This is a settler colonial society with all its inheritances... It is also a white, male dominated industry and when given the opportunity to open possibilities for underrepresented identities we will do so."
"I should have employed inclusive language while stating the obvious rather than the flippant 'back of the line' statement."
The owner went on to state that he was ignoring accusations of "reverse racism," explaining that he believed "the consequences of even partial, occasional white exclusion are not felt structurally and institutionally."
So, there you have it folks! Even when real racism is called out, white cis males just can't catch a break.
Sorry, fellas.
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