We all should respect other people's self-expressions, even if we wouldn't choose the same ourselves. Well, sadly, that's not the idea that all of the people on this planet follow. For some, disrespecting others due to the way they look is a way to go.
Today's original poster had one of these people as their coworker. He constantly mocked their cisgender coworker by calling her "sir." And that was just because she didn't comply with what's considered typically feminine. Funnily enough, these unfunny jokes efficiently ended his long-lasting career at that company.
More info: Reddit
Unfortunately, not everyone in this world understands how important it is to respect others, which leads to many hurtful interactions
Image credits: Gökhan Baykal / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The author once had a coworker who constantly maliciously misgendered their cisgender colleague just because she didn't comply with typical feminine norms
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: u/wyattkelly
So, one time a group of employees reported this man to the management, who sat him down to talk and some time later, when they realized the conversation didn't work, fired him
A few years ago, the OP had two coworkers who couldn’t peacefully coexist. And it was because one of them was an awful person.
The first coworker was a non-feminine woman, dubbed “Kate” in the story. She was tall, muscular, and had a mohawk. At the same time, she was one of the sweetest people one could meet. In fact, the author said they’re proud to call her a friend. So, clearly, she wasn’t the problem.
Sadly, due to her appearance, from time to time, she would get misgendered, even though she is not trans. While misgendering most commonly is experienced by non-binary or trans individuals, just like in the case of this story, it can happen to cis people too.
Rare incidents of this might not faze people as much, but frequent ones can take a toll. Especially if the intent is malicious. It makes people feel invalidated, which can impact their mental health and even their ability to properly function in society.
People in the comments under the post who shared their stories of misgendering are proof of how hurtful it can be. They opened up about how upset they were that some others simply had no regard for their self-expression since it didn’t fall into what is considered “normal.”
Speaking of inconsiderate people, the other coworker was the one we dubbed “awful.” And from what was written in the post, his colleagues would have called him that too. In fact, at one point the OP did that, just with different words.
This dude worked as a greeter at their company. He decided that it would be funny to call Kate “sir” anytime he saw her. For him, it was a clever and funny joke. He was the only one who thought that. Maliciously misgendering someone wasn’t viewed as something laughable in that workplace.
Image credits: Kindel Media / Pexels (not the actual photo)
And so, after getting tired of this poor joke, the group of employees complained about it to management. They sat him down and tried explaining why this joke was so harmful. This was a right step from the company's side. Promoting respectful communication is crucial for a successful company.
Besides all the harmful consequences we mentioned earlier, the additional layer of it happening at a workplace can be added here too. So, it would not only negatively impact a person's mental health, but their professional relationships and productivity as well. It might make an employee feel unwelcome in their team, which can lead to social isolation, which can impact their emotional health. Basically, it is a never-ending circle of negative impacts.
But all of that flew over this man’s head. He thought he was untouchable as a long-time employee. So, the jokes continued.
But his employment didn’t. His not improving his behavior resulted in him getting fired, no matter his seniority. As the OP put it, “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
Those commenters who didn’t share their stories cheered that the situation unfolded the way it did. They praised the employees for standing up to this man. Having someone to be by your side while dealing with a workplace bully can be important for a victim.
They also expressed their hope that Kate is doing well right now, to which the OP answered that she is. They also added that she remains a very cool person. So, the only thing we can add is that we hope she’ll continue doing well and being cool. Because everyone deserves that, no matter their identity, right?
Folks on the internet cheered about how this whole nasty situation was resolved and wished the best for the woman who suffered such mistreatment
