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That 'helpful' coworker who corrects your pronouns in meetings
At my office in Austin last Tuesday, a guy named Mark kept interrupting people to say 'actually, they prefer they/them' even when nobody asked. He did it to me during a team presentation and I almost shouted 'stop speaking for me to prove you're woke.' The thing is, he got the pronouns wrong half the time anyway and just made everyone tense. Has anyone else dealt with someone who turns allyship into a performance?
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zara5725d ago
Oh man, Mark sounds like the human equivalent of a pronoun checkmark that autocorrects wrong. I once had a coworker who did this so aggressively that I accidentally started using the wrong pronouns for myself just to confuse him. The worst part is when you can see their face fall if someone doesn't applaud their "helpfulness" it's like watching a self-help guru realize their book isn't selling. Honestly, being a good ally means shutting up and listening, not correcting people in meetings like you're the grammar police of identity. Mark needs to learn that allyship isn't a solo performance, it's a quiet backstage role.
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