“No LGBT, No Feminism, No George Soros Agenda”, No Service
The Wildest Job Application I’ve Ever Turned Down (and the fear I might not have done so)
Like many creatives, I have this grand dream of only ever working on projects that satisfy me emotionally and philosophically.
But I live in the real world. And as someone building a new freelance career, it's next to impossible to turn down any work I get offered. And so, there have been times when I've worked for clients with very different viewpoints to my own.
But this afternoon, I found a line I would not cross.
"No LGBT, no feminism, and no George Soros agenda, please."
Nothing about this particular job stood out from any others I've pitched for. Other than the fact that it seemed perfect for me, at least. The client wanted a bunch of trivia on the First World War based on a Middle Grade/Young Adult audience. So, a topic I already know a lot about, presented in a not too complex manner. It looked like I was about to get two weeks of easy, fun work.
But then, after all the details of the project had been discussed and agreed upon, the client felt they had the need to add one last requirement:
"No LGBT, no feminism, and no George Soros agenda, please."
Who says something like that?
I'll admit I spent a good few moments staring at that line, trying to see some way in which I had mistaken it.
The client couldn't mean what they'd written, right? I mean, on a purely practical level, it was absolutely unnecessary. Yes, if I was doing a deeper analysis of the socio-economic situation of the period, LGBT and feminist elements may have come into it. There's a lot of fascinating stuff to talk about in that area. But this was a relatively small book of First World War trivia aimed at children and teens. It would have been perfectly acceptable for the client to tell me they wanted to focus on military history for this project.
But why phrase it in this aggressive way?
But as for the "George Soros Agenda"? Even if you actually believe he controls the world through the so-called "Deep State", I'm not exactly sure how much influence he could have had on a global conflict that ended eighteen years before he was born.
What They Say Versus What They’re Saying
But, of course, someone talking about the "George Soros Agenda" isn't actually talking about George Soros, are they? It's merely one more dog-whistle phrase that encapsulates an entire world of antisemitic ideas.
And that's what this whole thing was about, wasn't it? What the client was actually saying was, "No gays, not women, no Jews." They wanted a history book comfortably nestled in the "traditional" worldview of the straight, white, Christian male.
At the End of the Day, Everyone Has Their Price
Once I saw that message, I knew I had to turn down the job. It's annoying because this was a project I would have loved working on. And not only that, it meant turning down money. And as important as my values are to me, I also love the ability to buy food.
And when I did, I made it very clear to the client why I was doing so. I called out his use of antisemitic language and how uncomfortable it made me. Then I blocked him and reported him on the platform.
But while this decision was easy, it could easily have been a lot harder. What if the amount I had been offered was higher? What if the client had doubled down on their offensive views but made me an offer I couldn't refuse?
What Would it Have Taken For Me to Ignore That Message?
"All those men have their price" - Robert Walpole
Unless you are somehow financially independent, there is no such thing as a job where you will never have to do anything you don't want. No matter how much you love what you do, there will be times you have to do the parts you enjoy the least. Or, especially if you work freelance when you have to take on work you'd rather not in order to pay the bills.
We all have a line we will not cross. Clients we will not work for. Goals we will not help work towards.
But the horrible truth is, that line moves. And how easily and how far we are willing to move it is all down to our price.
In this particular case, I'm currently financially stable enough not to have needed the money this job would have paid. I was free to stick to my values and refuse to work with this client. But what if I hadn't been? What if turning down this job would have meant I couldn't have afforded to eat? Or what if the client had offered me more? I mean, a lot more. Like, enough to live on for a year.
Because when I thought about this potential situation, it was alarming how quickly my mind came up with reasons to ignore this client's problematic language.
It's easy for me to pat myself on the back and tell myself I'm a good person for turning down this job. But I'll always know that, deep down, there would have been an offer the client could have made to change my mind.
I like to imagine there is a point I could not bring myself to move beyond. A point where a job or a task went so far against my core values that I literally could not do it. But can I be sure? Can I ever be certain that I wouldn't do something horrific if someone made me a good enough offer?
