General Motors lets employees create “affinity groups” as part of a diversity program. Such groups are allowed to use corporate facilities and communications for organization and offers other benefits. So when one employee applied to create a Christian employees affinity group, he was surprised to be denied.
It turns out that GM doesn’t see religious belief as part of diversity. GM “does not recognize religious or political organizations as company-sponsored affinity groups because of the potentially infinite number of such groups and because of the divisiveness inherent in trying to accommodate their widely disparate views.” Aren’t there potentially an infinite number of diversity groups anyway? There are hundreds of ethnicities, dozens of different kinds of disabilities.
But the real crux of the issue boils down to the real meaning of the workplace diversity program. It is designed to accommodate politically correct groups. If you’re black, Hispanic, gay, or in a wheelchair, you’re certainly welcome to start an affinity group. But if you’re a white, male Christian, forget about it; the program wasn’t created for you.
