Elderly Volunteer Fired For Misuse of Pronouns
Lack of tolerance despite her years of service
I recently read about a 90 year old woman who was fired for not understanding the diversity of pronouns people use today.
One thing younger people may not understand — using stated pronouns such as they/them were not a thing when older people were growing up. Just because an older person slips up and uses the wrong pronound does not mean they are prejudiced or intolerant. They might just be uninformed, or forgetful. This latter becomes more common as people age.
When I was growing up, elderly people’s memory lapses and other slip-ups were tolerated. In today’s environment, however, they lead to ostracism.
That’s what happened to the 90 year old woman who was fired.
As reported by the New York Sun, Fran Itkoff had been a volunteer for the National MS Society for 60 years.
What is MS? It stands for multiple sclerosis. The disease disrupts the ability of the brain to communicate with the body. People who suffer from MS may have pain, fatigue, trouble using their limbs, and vision or speech impediments.
This is a disease I’ve had a little bit of experience with as I once worked with a lawyer who was dealing with it. While she was still…
