Debrahlee Lorenzana claims that she was fired from Citigroup earlier this year for being
too hot to be a banker. She took the media by storm with her allegations, appearing on television shows and in photo spreads displaying the beauty that allegedly prevented her from making bank at the bank. She is currently suing Citigroup for firing her for her amazing looks, while the bank claims she was let go for poor performance. But perhaps Debrahlee Lorenzana's claims are part of a trend in discrimination by Citigroup against female employees.
Six more women are now stepping forward in a new law suit against Citigroup claiming that unfair treatment at the bank was motivated by their gender. The Daily Mail reports:
Bosses at one of America's biggest banks have been accused of sacking female staff to save the jobs of less-qualified men.
A group of women working for banking giant Citigroup have filed a class action lawsuit claiming the bank is effectively run as a 'boy's club'.
The five former employees and one current employee claimed less qualified men kept their jobs during a mass round of redundancies while they were fired or demoted.
The lawsuit alleges the bank used the economic downturn and financial meltdown, which saw banks shed thousands of jobs, to purge its workforce of female employees while retaining less qualified men.
They also claim that women working at the bank have a 'glass ceiling', are paid less than their male counterparts and sexist comments are rife.
One example given in paperwork filed in the District Court in Manhattan said a female employee faced 'inappropriate and offensive' comments based on her gender.
It said when she returned from maternity leave, she was demoted.
Citigroup was at the centre of sex discrimination claim earlier this year when Debrahleee Lorenzana claimed she was fired for being 'too sexy'.
Read the rest at
The Daily Mail.
While I applaud these women for stepping up and sticking up for their rights, this is hardly a scenario that is only taking place at Citigroup. In every workplace in America, especially as women move closer to the top of the corporate hierarchy in powerful companies, these are common experiences. If they are suing Citigroup for these accusations, almost all women should file a class action law suit against America.
U.S. News & World Report notes that there are several professional occupations in which men earn a full 25% more than women according to recent U.S. Labor Department data. And while recent reports show that in urban areas,
a childless, unmarried professional woman earns more than her male counterpart, the same stats prove that a comparable woman with kids still earns much less than a man. Women on average in America lag behind men a full 23 percentage points in earnings, and "women [only] occupy 15% of board seats and are 3% of CEOs"
(USA Today). So these brave women of Citigroup are hardly alone in their battle against sexism in the workplace. They might just be the pioneers who are starting to take action and do something about it.
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Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All-Time
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time:
First off, we acknowledge that 'sexiness' is extremely subjective, but since when has that stopped anyone from offering their opinion? It certainly hasn't kept us from taking note of the women who have served it up to us over and over again on the silver screen. That kind of consistency deserves recognition. That's why Black Voices took time out to compile a list of the top 30 sexiest actresses of all time. Although many of the women on our list have excelled in various media throughout their careers, we decided to rank each actress based on their "sex appeal in feature films, roles and scenes." Whether you agree or disagree with our rankings, we want to hear your opinion. Why not give us your own top 30 sexy actresses list? Please post your thoughts, comments and/or opinions in our
community message board. Let the sexiness begin!
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FR48174 AP
BlackVoices.com
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time:
First off, we acknowledge that 'sexiness' is extremely subjective, but since when has that stopped anyone from offering their opinion? It certainly hasn't kept us from taking note of the women who have served it up to us over and over again on the silver screen. That kind of consistency deserves recognition. That's why Black Voices took time out to compile a list of the top 30 sexiest actresses of all time. Although many of the women on our list have excelled in various media throughout their careers, we decided to rank each actress based on their "sex appeal in feature films, roles and scenes." Whether you agree or disagree with our rankings, we want to hear your opinion. Why not give us your own top 30 sexy actresses list? Please post your thoughts, comments and/or opinions in our community message board. Let the sexiness begin!
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time
30. Thandie Newton
It's fitting that British actress Thandie Newton got the lead slot in our countdown. After all, compiling a list like this is sort of a 'Mission Impossible' given the fact that sexiness is completely subjective. Still, Newton sizzles on screen when the role calls for it, whether playing the femme fatale opposite Tom Cruise or the violated wife of Terrence Howard in the 2005 drama 'Crash.' No matter what your taste, leaving Newton off our list would have been an injustice.
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time
28. Vivica A. Fox
Vivica Fox managed to heat up the screen even when playing an ice queen a la Mr. Freeze's lusty assistant in 'Batman and Robin.' We should've expected as much from a character named Miss B. Haven. It seems Ms. Fox is destined to live up to her real name, having played sexy roles in 'Booty Call' and 'Two Can Play That Game.'
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time
27. Robin Givens
As if posing in a 1994 issue of Playboy Magazine wasn't sexy enough! Robin Givens actually played a sex siren opposite Eddie Murphy in 'Boomerang.' Givens' character Jacqueline ultimately seduces Murphy's character Marcus Graham. Some say she played the same role in real life with her former husband, boxer Mike Tyson.
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time
26. Paula Patton
We can see why fellow R&B crooner Robin Thicke decided to put a ring on the finger of this sultry actress (let alone write a song about her). Of course we're sure that's not the only reason, but it couldn't have hurt. Paula Patton makes the list for roles in 'Déjà vu' and 'Idlewild.' Her leading men would be lost without the light she brings to the screen.
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time
25. Nichelle Nichols
We couldn't possibly leave the original intergalactic hottie off of this list! If Nichelle Nichols were the future of space travel, what self-respecting Trekkie wouldn't want to get beamed up? We would mention that she was hot enough to entice Captain James T. Kirk into TV's first on-screen interracial kiss, but that wouldn't be saying nearly enough. In her prime Lieutenant Uhura was light years ahead of the competition.
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time
24. Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt epitomizes sexiness. Just her name evokes the signature purr she unleashed as Catwoman. The eyes, the hands, the voice, the legs -- they all add to her allure -- yet her sexiness is even greater than the sum of her parts. We'll admit we haven't seen most of her movies, but it doesn't take much to be convinced. Besides, have you ever seen her performance of the song Santa Baby?
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time
21. Stacey Dash
'Clueless' is what we would've been had we left Stacey Dash off of this list. Even at 42, Dash hasn't lost much (if any) of the sex appeal she had in her twenties. In fact, she could still pass for a twenty-something. (Well, we'd give her a pass on just about anything, but you get the point.) For further research, just check her 'very tasteful' August 2006 Playboy spread.
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time
19. Kerry Washington
There's no denying that Kerry Washington belongs in the 19th position on our top 30 list. The talented actress showed how desirable she can be on screen while portraying Ray Charles' wife, Della Bea Howard Robinson, in the 2004 Academy Award-winning film 'Ray.' Just in case you weren't convinced, her turn as an unemployed and unashamed wannabe mistress in Chris Rock's 'I Think I love My Wife' casts all doubts aside (except for the doubt that a sexy woman like her would've been smitten by Chris Rock's nerdy character). We hear it's good to be a king of comedy.
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time
18. LisaRaye
Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but we're sure many men wanted to get cozy with LisaRaye's Diamond from the 1998 drama 'The Players Club.' Sure she played a stripper, but that's not the only reason she made this list. We can attest that working a pole does not necessarily make one sexy -- it takes that extra special something that LisaRaye has shown in every role she's had -- and she works that something to perfection.
Top 30 Sexiest Actresses of All Time
Some authors blame these findings on women
for being less flexible than men when it comes to child-rearing. For example,
Liz Wolgemuth writes that it is women who choose to leave the corporate environment before they have a chance to advance, and that as they have children they become less available for demanding tasks like long-term travel. Wolgemuth notes that a woman who does not marry and remains childless can actually earn more than a male executive, as can a woman who works like a man but has a male spouse who stays at home. But observations such as these miss the main point that this is still gender discrimination.
It is not fair to women to expect them to give up motherhood in exchange for full parity in the workplace. This assumes that all women will be able to find stay-at-home partners, which seems unlikely -- or worse that a woman must forgo reproduction in order to get ahead. The fact that society does not require this of a man is gender bias at its worst.
Childbearing and rearing are important social roles that deserve respect. Women have much to contribute to society as both mothers and productive people in the workforce. To continue to penalize women for wanting to both be mothers and workers by not rewarding them with the money and promotions they are due in 2010 is criminally insane. Not only is it unfair to female employees, it also prevents U.S. companies from getting the benefit of the best brain power possible, which is necessary for making our companies the most profitable. As women leave environments that do not reward them and penalize motherhood, it is inevitable that corporations become male-dominated spaces where woman fail to excel. And where
Debrahlee Lorenzana cannot wear pencil skirts!
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Other countries have laws for mandated maternity leave,
paternity leave and even percentages of government positions that must be held by women in order to ensure that gender discrimination is kept in check. It's time that the United States followed suit. If companies and the government do not work with women, there are going to be a lot more expensive law suits from people like Debrahlee Lorenzana, which will reduce the overall productivity of our economy. In the end, nobody will win. It's hard to imagine why anyone would want to perpetuate these holdover attitudes of sexism from a bygone era when women were 100% dependent on men and had to stay at home.
Now that
families need at least two incomes in order to survive, hardworking wives and mothers like Debrahlee Lorenzana are not willing to take gender discrimination anymore. Debrahlee Lorenzana's law suit and this latest suit against Citigroup by six new women show that the time of corporate America as a Boy's Club is over.
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