>We literally have no practice handling differences regarding the very items people are passionate about.

Looking at it from the employer side, that passion is precisely why these policies are being enacted.

Were I employing someone, I'm required to not have a hostile work environment, which includes certain jokes (because people may be offended), and now includes politics (because people may be offended), and people being offended means I can get sued.

The safest thing I can do, that any company can do, is say "check your politics at the door" and then fire anyone who does it anyways.

It's a garbage solution for the reasons you bring up, but unless we change how those regulations are set up, it's the option that many will take.