“Papa Doug” Manchester posts an apology to the LGBT community and then makes every effort to take the credit Hyatt has earned in the arena of LGBT rights and issues.
Doug is correct that Hyatt has established an excellent record in treating gays and lesbians fairly. This is not Doug Manchester’s record. I worked for the San Diego Hyatt and “Papa Doug” did not treat employees fairly. My paycheck was drawn on Manchester resorts payroll and I for one never felt comfortable or fairly treated by him as an employee.
It should not cause Doug any pride that he treated all employees poorly, but gay employees were treated especially poorly. We felt the need to hide our sexual orientation and were told “to act straight.”
That is not an acceptable work place environment. Doug’s apology seems disingenuous at best and appears to be an attempt to use Hyatt’s reputation in the LGBT community to cover his own poor record. This effort appears to be yet more hypocrisy coming from a man whose reputation for hypocrisy is becoming legendary. It is regrettable that the employees of the Hyatt have to suffer the effects of a boycott (both financially and emotionally).
It must be especially difficult and humiliating for Hyatt’s gay employees to have to cross that picket line knowing their employer donated so much money to deprive them of their civil rights. If Papa Doug wants to demonstrate true remorse he should stand up and take a leadership role in the fight for LGBT civil rights.
I don’t mean a small cash donation and some comp room nights. He should really take on leadership role and show his employees, customers and community that he is serious about making amends for his contribution to prop 8 and the way his company has treated gay employees in the past. Anything less is lip service to protect his income and soothe his conscience.
Is Mr. Manchester really sorry for his actions or does he simply regret the consequences of those actions? I suspect it is the latter and until he demonstrates otherwise I will continue to stay elsewhere when I return to San Diego and I will continue to consider Manchester Hyatt something less than grand.