[kbenson]

I think it's less an issue of wanting the person on your team than it is of respecting that someone may have separate personal and private personas and that should be respected. If it's wrong to exclude a transgender person from a team based on their personal views and lifestyle, what's the argument that explains why it's acceptable to exclude the transphobic person? Cultural norms should be removed, where possible, from professional decisions.

[krainboltgreene]

> respecting that someone may have separate personal and private personas and that should be respected.

It wasn't private.

> Cultural norms should be removed, where possible, from professional decisions.

That's. Not. How. Humans. Work.

[kbenson]

> It wasn't private.

But was it in the context of this project? Were the views expressed along with information that linked to this project, or did someone have to look into the person (I don't know, I'm asking).

> That's. Not. How. Humans. Work.

I reject any argument that we shouldn't at least try to tame our more troublesome quirks as a species. Where possible we should reject our pre-programmed response to stimuli where it steers us wrong in favor of rational thought.

[wutbrodo]

I suppose it's too much to expect that you understand the hilarious irony of what you're saying. Racism, sexism, discrimination against gay and transgender people, hating and fearing people different from you: all of these are "how humans work". If everyone had your attitude of fatalism towards "how humans work" instead of fighting against our baser animal instincts, we'd have long ago given up on combating those ills. Thank God most people don't think like you.

[quesera]

> Cultural norms should be removed, where possible, from professional decisions.

Your qualifier doesn't help though. Business, law, and society all run on (and through the expression of) cultural norms.

Some of these cultural norms are regrettable, but you'll have a hard time getting large groups to agree on which ones are regrettable and which are the very foundations of our society.

[kbenson]

> Some of these cultural norms are regrettable, but you'll have a hard time getting large groups to agree on which ones are regrettable and which are the very foundations of our society.

Which is why I suggest caution when punishing someone professionally for what is seen as an extreme position personally. Moderating (but not removing) our desire to punish the outsider may yield a more fair society. I hope. I think it's a good goal to have, even if it's often unachievable.