Good morning everyone and welcome back to the breakroom! We have had a very big day and I have a lot to catch you up on. So why don’t we do a “this could’ve been an email” and skip the pleasantries so we can get to the highlights of the day!
Starting with the biggest change that happened while you were away, we have actually had a couple changes in employees. Jim accepted a promotion at our Stamford branch in Connecticut, so he has officially left Scranton. While I get that he got a better position, it still seemed pretty out-of-the-blue in that it came out almost right after Casino night. Still not sure what happened that night but he seemed pretty odd ever since that night. But with that position open, Michael formally hired Ryan into Jim’s position. He is officially a fulltime employee, no longer just the temp. Now that he sits at the desk clump with Dwight, I believe he is quickly realizing that it was not everything he may have dreamed about. For starters, I saw Dwight was clipping his nails at his desk and I don’t know how Ryan kept his cool. People, do not cut your nails at work because that is just disgusting to stumble across a random nail at work. If you do insist on doing so, do it in private where no one will have any idea that you clipped them at work. But aside from a nail emergency, just wait until you get home.
I’m one of the few people who has kept in contact with Jim (even Pam hasn’t talked to him lately) and it sounds like he enjoying himself. He’s closer to New York City so there is a lot most going on, but he is still trying to figure himself out with his colleagues. I guess he got a nickname on his first day, Big Tuna; he ate a tuna fish sandwich for lunch, so it’s not necessarily the most creative name. But otherwise he is still getting used to the changes but is optimistic about it.
Perhaps the only thing crazier than Jim actually choosing to leave our branch, is the gossip surrounding Pam and Roy. Only days before the wedding, she got cold feet and called off their wedding! No one seems to know what happened, because this also seems to have come out of left field. They were together since high school and Pam finally got Roy to commit to a date so it is pretty wild this happened the way it did. One rumor was that Pam supposedly had feelings for someone else, but I haven’t been able to confirm anything. She seems to be doing okay, considering the circumstances. She got her own apartment, is currently taking art classes to work on her craft, and because they had to pay for the wedding food she has lunch for the next five weeks already planned. Roy is taking it a bit harder, he actually went on a bit of a bender and was arrested following the break up. He taking care of himself more but he is determined to try to win Pam back. Personally, I always thought they got caught up in that “high school sweethearts” scenario and that it is healthier to get out there to meet other people. It really would help put things into perspective and allow them to decide what they want for the future.
Now that you’re all caught up with what happened while you were out, time to tell you what actually happened today. Well, it started off with Michael getting a scolding by Toby (personally he could’ve been more serious) because he had called Oscar “faggy.” Evidently, the scenario was he called Oscar this because he said he liked Shakespeare In Love more than Die Hard. For those who do not understand, you should never be referring to anyone as “faggy” and this also falls under the umbrella of words like “fag”, “faggot”, “homo”, or the derogatory variation of “gay.” All of these words, and more, fall into the realm of homophobic language and is considered very serious and can be considered hate speech. As a gay man, I can tell you that these terms are nothing new because I believe I first was called these when I was 11 or 12. I was tempted to find some sort of article or piece of information but no, I do not feel that preventing bigotry from entering the workplace really needs any sort of explanation. There really is no reason to bring words which are derogatory terms for people in general but than includes races, sexual orientations, and identities. My mom taught me as child to remember Thumper from Bambi in that he was taught “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” If a child can learn to respect people, an adult can learn to do so, too. So if you feel the need to say “faggy,” perhaps you should just shut it.
Now all Toby needed to do was reprimand Michael about using language like this, but he also felt the need to let him know that the reason Oscar is so offended is because he truly is gay. Eventually Michael figures out that Toby isn’t making a joke, and his mind is completely blown. Evidently, he thinks it is okay to call people “faggy” as long as they are not gay. Looping back above, you are still making a comment that homosexuality is something that can be insulted and made fun of. Just. Shut. It. Michael perhaps should have invited Oscar into his office and had a private conversation to apologize. Instead, he decided to have this conversation right near the accounting desk so Angela and Kevin were able to hear the entire thing and they very quickly figured out what was going on. And with that, Oscar is formally outted to the office.
This gets back to Jan at corporate and she even drove all the way down to explain the severity of this with Michael. It went about as well as expected. As I mentioned, I am a gay man so I feel lucky in that I can offer an “expert opinion” on these facts. For those who are unfamiliar, “coming out” refers to the act of an individual formally disclosing their sexual orientation as something other than heterosexuality. To be “outted” instead refers to when someone else choose to disclose this information publicly. In this scenario, Michael let it be known to others in the office that Oscar was gay, before he could tell them himself. That being said, Toby was the one who told Michael. I still do not know why Toby thought he could trust Michael, and I really do believe it was truly necessary. I firmly believe and wish that every person can find the strength to come out. But it really is an important moment for them and being forced out never really works out well. While some of us are lucky to find support, there are plenty of people who might be kicked out by their parents, have to endure further bullying at their school, or even be sent to a conversion camp, or similar. Our preferences are nothing to be ashamed about, and cannot be changed simply because you tell us to “pray the gay away.” Too many members of the GLBTAQI2S+ community suffer depression because of this lack of support and it is a travesty that in 2024 these things still happen. And this isn’t just kids in school, but adults also feel the need to treat their colleagues terribly just because they do not “believe” in homosexuality. For the record, these people can be called bigots. No need to play around with words because if someone is treating other people terribly just because they might be gay, transgendered, or even have a different race than their own, please call them out. And they should be reported as a homophobe, racist, bigot, etcetera. To often, people get away with their actions but we need to find our voices and reach out to the appropriate parties at our place of business to ensure these people are reported.
So Jan has tasked Michael with making this situation right, and I have to call out Jan because I do not know why she thought he could fix this. Michael takes us through the history of the word “gay” because it used to mean happy, and then it meant lame, and now it means homosexuality. Well, Oscar is livid having to be forced to come out at work and then put up with Michael’s stupidity as well as Angela’s homophobic comments. He is completely ready to quit because he doesn’t want to stay at a company that treats their employees like this. Michael’s solution is to embrace him, and force a kiss upon him. For the record, all we’ve ever wanted was simple equality and to be treated like everyone else.
The day sort of concludes from that; Oscar is officially out for the next three months for paid vacation. All he had to do was agree not to sue Dunder Mifflin and he gets a company car as well as this paid vacation (he’s going to Europe). Word got back to Jim in Stamford and he arranged for a delivery for Dwight of “Gaydar” be made. It was actually a metal detector, although I’m not sure if he ever figured this out. For the record, “gaydar” refers to that six sense of being able to tell if someone is gay or straight. On a bit of happier news, Phyllis announced she is engaged to Bob Vance. Congratulations Phyllis!
So that was what happened today! A lot of big changes, all leading up to some craziness in the office which concluded with Oscar being forced out of the closet. So what have we learned today? I think it can be summed up as: don’t be a bigot, bigots suck. As for those people who “just don’t get it” I want to reiterate that being gay (or any part of the community) really has no bearing on your life. We do not take away from your life or make your marriage any less special. If you don’t like it, just shut it.
For those out there currently questioning your sexuality, there are many resources out there and I hope you are able to find support. But please know that you are not alone; even if you do not have the support at home, you have support in this world. More than anything I feel the need to bring up that if any of you feel depressed and even suicidal because of your feelings, please consider reaching out to The Trevor Project at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/. You can message them, text them, or even give them a call 24/7. I first put their number in my phone when I was 15, and while it never came to the point that I needed to call them, I had it just in case. Being part of the GLBTAQI2S+ community is never a bad thing, and is never a reason to face discrimination in any parts of your life. Stand up for yourself and please find support; as someone who has routinely been the “token gay” wherever I went, you are absolutely worth it.
I would love to hear from any of my fellow members of the community, so please reach out in the comments! Even better, if you have any resources for readers who are struggling with discrimination or simply figuring themselves out, please share. I often see online where people ask why our community is always so quick to voice our support for any actor, athlete, or cultural icon becomes associated with the LBGT+. Simply put, we support each other so innately because we know what it is like for no one else to. We lift each other up because we know what it is like to feel weighed down and alone. If I can offer any other advice to anyone who is trying to figure out what they can do for a friend or colleague who just came out, do not ever let them feel less than a person.
I hope you all have a great Friday, please feel free to say hi to me around the breakroom, and lets try to get out there and make the world just a little bit better.
