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A 90-year-old California woman was fired from her volunteering position at the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society because she 'did not understand pronouns,' despite previously winning multiple awards from the nonprofit group.
Fran Itkoff had been volunteering for the MS Society, a nonprofit support group for multiple sclerosis patients, for 60 years before she was removed.
Although her dedication to the MS Society had been recognized over the years, the group recently forced her to step down after she asked what pronouns meant.
'I was confused. I didn't know what it was and what it meant,' Itkoff said of her first reaction when she was asked to use pronouns in her email signature.
Itkoff's husband, a patient with MS, was running the Long Beach Lakewood MS support group before he died 20 years ago, she said in an interview with the Libs of TikTok.
Itkoff took over her husband's position and volunteered for the nonprofit organization for the next couple of decades until a representative reached out to her recently.
The representative, who has not been named, reportedly asked Itkoff to use her pronouns, but she did not understand what it meant.
The 90-year-old woman said: 'I had seen it on a couple of letters that had come in after the person's name. But I didn't know what it meant.'
'So when I finally talked to her, I asked what it meant... And she said that meant they were all inclusive, which didn't make sense to me.'
'Because it sounds like you are labeling for females, not males, if you are just putting in she/her.'
A few days later, she received an email accusing her of violating the MS Society's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion guidelines.
'Unfortunately, based on the situation, we have made the difficult decision to have you step down from your volunteer position, effective immediately,' the email reads.
Itkoff said: 'I was completely shocked. I can't believe... I had to read it a couple of times to see if I'm getting what she said.'
Elle Hamilton, Itkoff's daughter, said: 'To me it's ironic, because they are saying they are inclusive, but they are excluding a 90-year-old disabled woman who has volunteered for 60 years.'
'And literally the sole purpose was to help the MS patients and find a cure. That's literally all she does,' Hamilton added.
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/ot...n&cvid=6b26105d54ae40eb976c60440b29c4c0&ei=21
Fran Itkoff had been volunteering for the MS Society, a nonprofit support group for multiple sclerosis patients, for 60 years before she was removed.
Although her dedication to the MS Society had been recognized over the years, the group recently forced her to step down after she asked what pronouns meant.
'I was confused. I didn't know what it was and what it meant,' Itkoff said of her first reaction when she was asked to use pronouns in her email signature.
Itkoff's husband, a patient with MS, was running the Long Beach Lakewood MS support group before he died 20 years ago, she said in an interview with the Libs of TikTok.
Itkoff took over her husband's position and volunteered for the nonprofit organization for the next couple of decades until a representative reached out to her recently.
The representative, who has not been named, reportedly asked Itkoff to use her pronouns, but she did not understand what it meant.
The 90-year-old woman said: 'I had seen it on a couple of letters that had come in after the person's name. But I didn't know what it meant.'
'So when I finally talked to her, I asked what it meant... And she said that meant they were all inclusive, which didn't make sense to me.'
'Because it sounds like you are labeling for females, not males, if you are just putting in she/her.'
A few days later, she received an email accusing her of violating the MS Society's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion guidelines.
'Unfortunately, based on the situation, we have made the difficult decision to have you step down from your volunteer position, effective immediately,' the email reads.
Itkoff said: 'I was completely shocked. I can't believe... I had to read it a couple of times to see if I'm getting what she said.'
Elle Hamilton, Itkoff's daughter, said: 'To me it's ironic, because they are saying they are inclusive, but they are excluding a 90-year-old disabled woman who has volunteered for 60 years.'
'And literally the sole purpose was to help the MS patients and find a cure. That's literally all she does,' Hamilton added.
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/ot...n&cvid=6b26105d54ae40eb976c60440b29c4c0&ei=21
