A lesbian from a conservative state recently took to Reddit for opinions after a run-in with a judgmental religious coworker at a bar. Here is her full story.
She’s a Proud Lesbian Who’s Hard of Hearing
OP is a lesbian who recently started a new job. She has experienced lots of ignorant and prejudiced behavior in other work settings, so she’s on her guard.
OP has hearing damage in one ear and occasionally struggles to hear things clearly with the impaired ear. This condition can lead to difficulties understanding conversations, especially in noisy environments.
Not long after starting her new job, OP had an opportunity to socialize with her coworkers for the first time. They went out to a crowded bar, where the atmosphere was loud and bustling.
After a few drinks, OP was enjoying talking with her fellow employees when an unfamiliar man approached her at the bar. Because of the noisy surroundings and her bad ear, OP only caught fragments of what he said.
He Was Discussing Her Sexual Orientation
Even so, OP sensed a negative undertone to the conversation. After a while, she decided that the guy was suggesting someone at work might have an issue with her sexual orientation.
The man advised OP not to talk about her homosexuality in the workplace. This was no surprise to OP, who had benefited from “whisper networks” at new jobs before.
Since they lived in a conservative state, new co-workers would often approach OP to share information about potential bigots or problematic individuals so she would know what she was dealing with.
OP assumed the guy at the bar was doing her a solid by providing that sort of warning. She appreciated the gesture.
She Thought He Was Talking About a Co-worker
But OP struggled to hear the name of the person that the stranger mentioned. Despite multiple attempts to clarify, she couldn’t catch the name due to her hearing difficulties and the noise.
Feeling embarrassed and insecure about her hearing impairment, she hesitated to ask the man to repeat the name for the fourth time.
Sensing OP’s lack of recognition, the man became visibly surprised and agitated, expecting the name to be instantly recognizable.
OP, growing frustrated, questioned the guy about the name one more time, emphasizing that she was under the impression it was a coworker at the bar.
She Hilariously Pretended She Didn’t Know Jesus
The man refused to provide any additional details, and his demeanor became increasingly hostile and confrontational, expressing anger towards OP for her apparent ignorance.
Eventually, in a heated moment, the man raised his voice and declared that the individual in question was Jesus Christ.
This revelation was a crucial turning point for OP, as she realized that the man was not attempting to protect them from a bigot but, in fact, held prejudiced views themselves.
OP found the situation ironic and somewhat comical, given the revelation of the person’s bigotry.
There’s No Need to Use Profanity!
As a way to diffuse the tension and assert herself, OP made a lighthearted comment, telling the man that there was no need for him to use profanity when responding to their inquiries.
The man became further infuriated by OP’s response, storming off in anger.
Afterwards, OP returned to her coworkers and recounted the encounter, expressing confusion about the whole situation. She relayed the man’s suggestion of concealing their sexual orientation at work.
OP’s coworkers advised her to consider reporting the incident to Human Resources if the person continued to cause trouble. They emphasized the importance of creating a safe and inclusive work environment.
It Was Her Little Joke
OP is conflicted about reporting the incident. She knows she provoked the guy at the end of their encounter, though her little joke didn’t do anything to cause his bigoted attitude.
Redditors not only overwhelmingly support OP in the way she handled the situation, most think it was a stroke of genius.
Several commenters express how humorous they think it was that she was able to turn the table on her co-worker.
Some advise her that going to HR would be the right thing to do, though they also acknowledge that might make her feel uncomfortable at work.
So, what do you think of this story? Was OP right for “playing dumb” in order to get under her coworkers skin?
Or would she have been better off to confront the man head-on about his attitude?
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The post She’s a Hard of Hearing Lesbian and Pretended to Not to Know Who Jesus Is to Make Him Mad first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Roman Samborskyi. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit