Being a token can be misleading at first. It can make you feel wanted, admired, and special. Who doesn't want to feel that way, especially after a lifetime of not feeling seen or validated? You hear the message "We really value your unique perspective," which really means "You have something we want from you!" I have to admit that I've been lured in by this message, along with my own savior complex and sense of over-responsibility. When you become a token, it's hard not [to] feel owned by a system that continually pats itself on the back for being so open-minded and progressive for hiring you while simultaneously putting you in your place. Good intentions say nothing about a system's capacity to change.
-- Sand C. Chang, Nonbinary Memoirs of Gender and Identity, p. 55
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