There are right now two camps in my life.
One camp likes to ask (me) why I (or we) haven't made a statement of solidarity with Black Lives Matter. The other camp likes to ask (me) why I (or we) haven't as yet made a statement about All Lives Matter, or Pride Month.
These are camps who don't take a response of silence very well.
Even though some of know well that silence can (and does) speak more than a thousand words.
They demand answers.
They demand responses.
They demand that you tell them exactly where it is you stand, and why it is that you stand what you stand (as if we owe them an explanation for the choices we make).
And then, despite their claims of being non-judging and loving all and accepting and so on, your friendship now sits on the fence if you should provide an answer different from theirs, or worse still, provide a response that appeals not to their sensitive ears.
It feels like that there must (and has to be) a standard textbook answer because, why, everyone is saying it!
But I'm not here to give you the answer you like to hear.
Because, first of all, my response is not driven for the purpose of public relations. (If it were, the paragraph would have to be crafted carefully to reflect our mission and heritage and values and which embraces diversity as per our customers new and old- and we would have to communicate that carefully across all available media platforms at carefully calibrated timings)
And next, my response is as candid as it can be- and you'd only see the meaning of it if you understood how tight the integration of my personal and professional standings are.
So, to both camps who have been asking why in the high heavens I've not said anything about Racism or Pride, here's my answer:
1. I'm working.
2. I don't say anything not because I don't have anything to say, but because I don't have to say it.
Now, before you turn beet red and tsk tsk away at my statement of nonchalance, let me tell you why.
But before that, you must know that I've been in the media & entertainment industry for more than a decade. You must also know that this is an industry that consumes you and your entire life. Yes, seriously, the M&E industry- doesn't matter which medium you're skilled in- takes up your entire life. It is not a hobby that you can take up and put down. It is not a study that you can start midway then quit and want to be an industry peer. No, you're in this line for the long run. None of us are joking when we tell you that this industry takes up every single minute of your life, and you get very little (if none) break for it.
So when I say that I've been in here for more than a decade, it means that I've been here for a very long time, it means that I'm believing in what it is that we're doing, what it is that our beliefs and mission is (there are more than one, shall we say), and what it is that we're bringing to the market.
You must also know that I've been working with, and working in, a singular company all these years. (What it means is that I didn't bother jumping ship lar, okay)
Now, this is a company that has- for the longest time- close to thirteen years at least- had locations in five different territories other than home ground.
1. Thailand
2. India
3. China
4. Africa
5. Israel
For those who have been wondering why it is that I've not mentioned anything about Pride or All Lives Matter or Black Lives Matter, do you see what I mean when I say that a) I'm working, and b) I don't have to say it.
Because, dahhhlings, we're LIVING it.
We're LIVING it 24/7.
At any one point in time we have to work with either one or more of these five territories, we have to communicate with them, we have to work through the pipeline with them, we have to interact with them, and we have to respect each other according to the respect a person deserves, and of course, the hierarchy. (There are some people in the hierarchy that you just do *not* argue with)
Tell me, how is it possible for me (or us) to be racist towards, say, the Indians, when, there are offices in Chennai and Mumbai and everyone is very different from each other? How is it possible for me (or us) to treat the Africans with disdain when they in Uganda have expanded into the nations covering Somalia, Algeria and Congo? You want me to talk about the blacks in US? Why not I talk about the blacks in Congo or Somalia or Uganda? If Black Lives Matter in the US, they matter everywhere. Whether or not we (have) worked, you can expect that you have to work with them anytime, and unless you want to lose your job, no in frigging way can you survive in this company with a racist attitude.
So, do Black Lives Matter?
What do you think?
And now that we've gotten this out of the way, let's talk about Pride.
The fifth country on the list is the Israel. In case you didn't know, the State of Israel has TWO Pride parades. There's Tel Aviv Pride, and there's Jerusalem Pride. A good number of our artists, CG Generalists, Technical Heads plus our a number of app development teams are from Israel. If I (or we) were to blather on about their lifestyle or sexuality and so on, we might as well quit the fifth territory and stick to four or none.
So, you see, it matters not to me (or any of us) whether or not they are LGBTQ, whether they are married, have partners, are known in public, etc etc. It does not matter one bit to the hiring team.
Do we make it known? Do we declare it?
As far as I know, we don't explicitly say it, because we don't have to. Our hiring processes have none of the (odd) questions in the list, and as far as I know, no one in the hiring interview is interested whether you have a same-sex partner or a few partners or etc etc.
We're hired on fact-based ground, our pay grade is dependable on our skills and projects, career progress and all is based on the projects we are assigned to, our KPIs (does the movie get done?) what hierarchy you are in the project, and with the requisites of Corporate thrown in between.
In short, the crews' sexuality or choice of partner or lifestyle is irrelevant. Unless you're an abuser or a pedophile that is living a life that hurts another by deliberation, then that I'm pretty clear is a no.
We don't have time.
No one has time.
If you need the talent, if the talent can come onboard, and if everything else is good, settled. Queer? Transgender? Does it matter? Should it matter? How in the world does a person's choice of partner or a person's sexuality affect the way they work? Sure, we can go on and on about the many reasons why it should be important, or not important, but we arent' here to cast judgment on anyone.
We have a project with a million and one things to do.
So, do I (still) have to say where I stand with Pride and all?
You don't survive in this industry for fourteen years being racist, being a bigot, being judgmental and tsk tsking at anyone whom you consider as not part of your world. No less in this company where I'm thankfully (still!) in.
It boils down to a question of what you believe the fruits of the industry can do and how far it can go. If you believe in the influence that an entertainment franchise has, whilst not giving a s*** about your skin color or your lifestyle or your choice of partner (because talent is important and we have no time), then you will know what you accept, and what you don't.
If we're living it 24/7, and if it is exemplary in our processes, in our board and our shareholders and investors and to our audiences and working partners, then, pray tell, what would making a PR statement be for? (Then again, it's my perspective, if overnight they decide to pressurize the PR team for a couple of paragraphs, well then, who knows?)
Is this then- the camps may ask- a personal opinion or a professional one? Do I really, really, really have a stand? Which side am I on? Which side do I want to support?
Look, this industry consumes nearly all your waking moments (sometimes your diet too). If you cannot integrate both personal and professional opinions together and come to peace with yourself on the balance, you won't last long in this line. If I didn't value my personal friends (from other races) in this multi-racial, multi-cultural dot of an island, if I didn't treasure the friendships that I have, how would I have survived this long in a company that requires me to work with so many other (races) at anytime?
I trust I'll still be hanging around for a while. :)
After all, I just know what it is that I was called for- what I was not- and since I know the price of disobedience and mistrust in the Omni, I'll stick to what I was called- and stay there.