I am the gay white male friend that chuckled…

I chuckled after I heard each on of them because of the absurdity I felt they all presented. Each one presented a situation that I felt would be too absurd to ever be shared in an auto response email (I get them all the time).

I also think it isn’t appropriate for the workplace and in my opinion most jokes aren’t, because at any given moment someone in the workplace could be experiencing the very essence of what the joke is about and it isn’t funny until the experience has been passed through and even then….sometimes not.

I do understand how hurtful jokes can be. I didn’t find gay jokes funny until I heard them from gay people.

I recognize I have real, as well as, perceived privelege not afforded to others. I understand that although I might be considered a sexual minority, I am white, I appear to be male and can actually pass for straight sometimes, especially when it appears there may be a beat down… I still can’t show public displays of affection without feeling like my life is in danger. I’ve been bashed twice, once by the cops…

I was raised with all the phobia’s mormons can muster in their trek for total control and world spiritual dominance and have been recovering from familial abuse and internalized homophobia/heterosexism for many years.

I am on a path of healing for myself and am growing as I go…It’s nice to have crossed paths with you and hope we can continue on.

Inappropriate for the workplace? Probably. Offensive? Only to the extent that a particular individual might find it funny and act on it. I don’t see how this is any different from the thousands of jokes about race, religion, ethnicity, lawyers, New Yorkers or what have you, that we all get exposed to from time to time. Why should trans people be any different, that we don’t have jokes made at our expense? We can’t legislate people’s sense of humor, so best just to let it go. That’s my two cents, fwiw.

I don’t know if I’d call it, “inappropriate”, as I’m not too sure what “appropriate” is, but “insulting” or “discouraging” might work.

Not transphobia — just plain old privilege.

its sexist, without a doubt, as well.

And I don’t think you are overly sensitive about it at all.

I’m the sort that gets the joke, can chuckle a bit if I’m in a good mood, if I’m in a foul one I’ll grimace and grumble and in either case I’ll just delete the stupid thing.

But then, I’m all the sort that would actually use such an out of office memo for the sheer perverse cruelty it can inflict.

i’m not opposed to laughing at myself as a trans woman. i just felt this particular email was inappropriate, especially in a work environment, and especially in an environment that is supposed to hold “diversity” as one of it’s highest values. and for the most part, our work force is quite diverse, especially in the lower levels.

and frankly, i totally understand your bitterness. i take it you find the email inappropriate as well?

(Yes, the quotes are supposed to suggest a bit of bitterness and disgust.)