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judecorpI felt like I was in high school today. It was amusing.
I was at the front desk at work doing who-knows-what when I heard one of our residents call the R.A. over to tell him a joke. He wasn't shouting the joke, but anyone with decent hearing could get the idea. "So this fag goes to church..." The joke continues, and in all truth, it wasn't a terrible joke. It wasn't, say, dirty or nasty or whatever. But it was the sort of joke that just isn't funny when it's a "locker room" thing between a bunch of conspiring guys. So anyway, before I know it, I hear my own voice, principal-style, booming across the entire day room:
"Mr. A----, I find gay jokes rather offensive and I'd really prefer that I didn't hear any in the building."
I think he was a little taken aback, and he began apologizing profusely, even calling me over to then apologize quietly. I think he was worried about being written up for disrespect or something, but he was also very embarrassed, because most of the men sitting around him had begun laughing. I think for a moment he thought they were laughing at him for "getting caught." He'd been picked on for something recently and was likely still sensitive about it.
In actuality, they were laughing at me - that snickering sort of "I know what you are" laughter that most people outgrow when they are in ninth grade or so. He asked if I was writing him up and I said, "Not this time, no," and walked away, hearing a chorus of titters follow me all the way to the back door. Oh to have been a fly on the wall after I'd left...
I'm thirteen again. Am I thirteen for good? The whole scene was comical to say the least. I was pretty damned proud of the strong voice that came out of my mouth.
I was at the front desk at work doing who-knows-what when I heard one of our residents call the R.A. over to tell him a joke. He wasn't shouting the joke, but anyone with decent hearing could get the idea. "So this fag goes to church..." The joke continues, and in all truth, it wasn't a terrible joke. It wasn't, say, dirty or nasty or whatever. But it was the sort of joke that just isn't funny when it's a "locker room" thing between a bunch of conspiring guys. So anyway, before I know it, I hear my own voice, principal-style, booming across the entire day room:
"Mr. A----, I find gay jokes rather offensive and I'd really prefer that I didn't hear any in the building."
I think he was a little taken aback, and he began apologizing profusely, even calling me over to then apologize quietly. I think he was worried about being written up for disrespect or something, but he was also very embarrassed, because most of the men sitting around him had begun laughing. I think for a moment he thought they were laughing at him for "getting caught." He'd been picked on for something recently and was likely still sensitive about it.
In actuality, they were laughing at me - that snickering sort of "I know what you are" laughter that most people outgrow when they are in ninth grade or so. He asked if I was writing him up and I said, "Not this time, no," and walked away, hearing a chorus of titters follow me all the way to the back door. Oh to have been a fly on the wall after I'd left...
I'm thirteen again. Am I thirteen for good? The whole scene was comical to say the least. I was pretty damned proud of the strong voice that came out of my mouth.
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no subject
Date: 2002-10-03 10:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-10-04 06:06 am (UTC)I doubt he thought he was being rude at all - I'm pretty darned sure he thought he was being funny. Then again, most of the times when people are rude, they don't think they are.
It's weird what's still acceptible in our society, even on a surface level. For example, if this man had told a racist joke, he would have gotten the crap kicked out of him, and he would definitely have been written up. But he felt he could call a staff person over to tell a homophobic joke.
YOU GO GRRRL!!!!!
want me to throw rocks at them?
Re: YOU GO GRRRL!!!!!
Date: 2002-10-04 06:08 am (UTC)Re: YOU GO GRRRL!!!!!
Date: 2002-10-04 06:33 am (UTC)Re: YOU GO GRRRL!!!!!
Okay, not really. I'm just this person who tries to do the right thing. But thank you.
no subject
Date: 2002-10-04 06:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-10-04 01:18 pm (UTC)Exactly. If I'm ever going to go down, I'm going to be so loud they'll hear me on the West Coast.
Maybe I'm still young and naive and optimistic, but I can't imagine ever not saying anything, even though I know there were times when I didn't.
no subject
Date: 2002-10-04 07:38 am (UTC)You know.....it means now you are going to be using it more and more and MORE.
They say our childlike speech patterns are the first things to go. I should know!;)
Nooooo!
Date: 2002-10-04 01:17 pm (UTC)You can't make meeeeeeee!
(Neener)
no subject
Date: 2002-10-04 03:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-10-04 04:09 pm (UTC)You know, you look a lot like her in your OLD AGE!
no subject
Date: 2002-10-04 04:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-10-04 07:59 am (UTC)no subject
I should put a picture of you in my office so when they ask "Who is that guy?" (like they ask all the time when they see the picture of me and my brother (http://www.geocities.com/nostril_girl/bagas.html)), I can say, "The best boyfriend ever."
Yeah!!