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@wolf4earth@hachyderm.ioI have a work social media persona. My "worksona". It's who I represent as on LinkedIn and also on here.
I also have an authentic social media persona. It's another account on another server under an alias. An anonymous alias.
Why does this discrepancy exist? Because I talk about lived experiences, values, and positions on my second account that are stigmatized by society. Mental health. Neurodivergence. Gender. #FuckTheSystem.
My "worksona" is not me. It's a construct I shaped to maximize my chances by allowing me to harness conditional privilege: mainly that I'm _read_ as a white assumed cisgender, neurotypical, heterosexual, able-bodied man. But it's a mask. It means I'm keenly aware of the discrepancy in privilege that is granted based on how one is perceived.
I've been slowly incorporating more authenticity into my "worksona" but the sad truth is that there's still a wide chasm between who I really am around the people I trust and who I am in a professional context. There is literally only a single person who knows the full me and also knows me in real life. Everyone else gets a filtered version. Why? Stigma. Stigma that's assigned to layers of my identity I have no control over.
This is what privilege is about. Chances are that if your "public persona" aligns closely with your authentic self that you benefit from a whole lot of privilege (or that you're a #neuroqueer rebel; I see you and applaud you). And to the white men in my followers: this is what people talk about when they say you have privilege. The insidious truth is that it's _invisible_ to you because you probably don't know anything else. But there are many people around you who just _pretend_ to look and act like you.
I am one of the people who pretend.
@wolf4earth you are not alone in this situation, our numbers are legion.
@iamada I like think of myself as the ultimate trojan horse. 
@wolf4earth very interesting take. Also hits kinda close to home. I feel like one of the reasons I would be a very bad employee (and I’ve been there before) is that I can’t just shut up and smile when someone is being offensive, sexist, or just rude. Some people have the inner calm to seperate themselves from their work persona to “keep the peace” (working in a team is is an important requirement). But I personally can’t do that, so self-employment is a better fit for me.
@Lycoris I relate. It's a very difficult act of balance between personal safety and success VS upholding one's own values.
It's why genuine allyship is so important because fighting for your own rights as a marginalized individual happens by definition from a position of disempowerment.
At the same time are allies fickle beasts. Unless they have some skin in the game allegiances can shift quickly. I've seen it happen more than once.
I've come the conclusion that community and aligning your interests with the interests of other, differently marginalized people is the way forward. Make their fight your fight and they will make your fight their fight. After all we're all in the same boat, it just has a different coat of paint.
It's difficult navigating through the societal structures built around patriarchy, colonialism, and racism
One wants to hammer right through them, but stable employment requires we at least pretend to honor these underpinnings of capitalism
I often 'joke' about the -isms at work, am growing out my hair and painting my nails, but I tread on shaky ground
I fear coming out, lest I be sidelined and never advance, see an end to the decent pay rises which keep me and my family fed and sheltered
@wolf4earth Yesterday I spoke to a colleague who couldn't understand that he was privileged if he didn't have to worry about data protection. it was about GDPR. My example of Texas women wanting to have abortions and going to jail for it didn't really convince him that he had any special privilege because he is a man.
@wolf4earth So true. "Worksona" (thank you for finding such a useful word!). Being authentic at work is such a huge privilege, and constantly masking is so exhausting
@wolf4earth
Me too. I'm so sorry. Masks chafe after awhile, I know.