December 8, 2013
“That fat dyke is . . .”
It was a part of a comment a manager (click here) (long since departed) once made to me — many moons ago — about a lesbian colleague. It wasn’t said out of love or jest; quite the opposite, it was said with contempt, the equivalent of “That fat faggot . . .” if the manager had been talking about a gay man. At least that’s the way I interpreted the comment, and I was shocked by it. But I didn’t object, nor did I rat out the manager to a bigger boss. I let it slide . . . and, no, I didn’t mention it to the female employee, either.
I wonder how many similar situations happen in workplaces around the world? A co-worker or manager makes a bigoted comment about an employee, and those who hear it don’t speak up? Does it make them complicit? Was I complicit when I didn’t inform on the manager?
These thoughts trouble me today after reading about the trans police officer in Middletown, Connecticut, who has filed a complaint alleging discrimination by supervisors, some of whom, she claims, were quite open about it and said things directly to her. If the allegations are true, it makes me wonder about the comments that were made behind her back . . .
