Mx as a title?

[CreepyContessaDiPlump]

I've just heard of this as a gender-neutral, status-neutral form of address and am not sure what I think. I am currently a 'Ms' user but could be persuaded to change up

Opinions?

[NameChange30]

I'm not a fan personally but I understand why some people might want to use it. Maybe trans people or people who prefer to remain gender neutral.
However, I don't see why any of us should have to use a title if we don't want to - surely first name last name would do?

[NameChange30]

PS I use Ms as well, hate that women feel they have to use Miss or Mrs whereas men just get straightforward Mr.

[PoldarksBreeches]

Why is it necessary? Ms serves the purpose fine, if you want to keep your sex a secret then don't use titles, that only works if you're called Sam or Lesley though...

[NameChange30]

Poldarks
I imagine that someone who prefers to be gender neutral would consider changing their first name to a gender neutral one.
I can't imagine anyone with a strongly feminine or masculine name choosing to use Mx - happy to be proved wrong though!

[CreepyContessaDiPlump]

Well yes Poldark, that's the problem - you can't always avoid giving away your gender if you have an obvious first name, and gender-neutral titles generally involve a high level of education or hereditary privilege, so you might not have either. I don't care particularly if people know I'm female but I can see how others might like to have the option of obscuring gender somehow.

The term does feel a little clunky to me. I'm loathe to question the need for its existence as I'm sure there are people out there who say the same about 'Ms', which suits me perfectly (except when I'm Dr)

[OvariesBeforeBrovaries]

How do you pronounce it?

[VestalVirgin]

Ms works - I see no reason to change that unless perhaps towards Mrs. as default that is used for every woman.

Mx only makes sense if men use it, too - but I don't think that will happen anytime soon, and with gendered first names, it won't help avoid discrimination, anyway.

[Elllicam]

Do you just say m x or is it more like mix? Either way I agree it's a bit clunky.

[CreepyContessaDiPlump]

We were at a wedding and I enquired as to whether the married couple would be going by Mr and Mrs or by the rather more characteristic Dr and Dr; a male friend confirmed that it was the latter and also proudly proclaimed himself as a 'Mux'. Mind you he has a pretty obvious man-name so there is minimal opportunity for confusion

[0phelia]

It reads like "Minx" to me.

[KittyAlPick]

Ha! Makes me think of a minx too!

[ChocChocPorridge]

I'd have said Mix. I would say that it's actually useful in the circumstances when you're talking about someone, rather than when referring to yourself (and, well, just don't use your first name - if you're using a title, it's not needed anyway)

Eg. instead of starting a letter with Dear Mr/Ms Jones, it could be just Dear Mx Jones.

I quite like it.

I would pronounce it 'Mix' if guessing, but I can see why people would go 'Mux'

[booklooker]

I'm sure I remember that Tower Hamlets, or somewhere round there do not have a Mr/Ms/Miss/Mrs tick box, or a First Names box for their job application forms.

So there is no way to work out the gender of the applicant before an interview is offered.

Maybe that is wide spread now, I haven't applied for a job in a long time.

[OneFlewOverTheDodosNest]

It's not widespread booklooker but I think it's a good idea - I think it should be entirely anonymised CVs because of discrimination against certain types of names as well. Even in cases where people think that they're not discriminating unconscious bias has a very strong effect.

[booklooker]

Of course, ethnicity can often be guessed by a surname. So a CV should be entirely anonymous during the selection process.

Easily done with electronic applications.

[Thisjustinno]

I work in the NHS and it's used to denote transgender on our computerised systems. Transgender is a protected characteristic so it's used to denote that and monitor how well we perform in regards to diversity and equality.

[EBearhug]

I used it on an electronic form where it was an option. I have a bit of an issue with electronic forms that don't alow you the option of no title, which is my preference, and like having a choice of random titles which aren't just "Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms." I hadn't seen Mx before, so it had some novelty value.

Anyway, then had to deal with a real customer service representative, face-to-face. He was totally confused by Mx and thought it was a computer error or something. I decided not to add to his confusion or education and just said if I had no choice about having to use a title, then I supposed Ms would have to do.

Whatever one thinks about titles like Mx, I do think that if they're being offered as an option on an organisation's systems, then that organisation has a responsibility to educate its staff on what titles might mean and who might use them. If they actually need to know someone's sex and gender (and the NHS is one of the few organisation's where it is relevant, ) that should be recorded in a separate field. After all, Dr Brown or Rev Smith could be trans and not want to use Mx.

I am somewhere between mix and mux on the pronunciation front, with a preference for mux, if I have to.

[EBearhug]

Mind you, mux is a multiplexer.

[RJnomore1]

Mx isn't used to denote transgender as a default! Good lord is an NHS somewhere actually doing that?

It's used to denote someone who chooses not to identify as male or female and thus uses the pronoun "they" not he or she, but most importantly the person chooses it themselves. They may be transgender, agender or anything else...

It's pronounced mix with a very short I sound.

I'm a Ms - I'm happy to identify as female but don't see what my marital status has to do with anyone.

[almondpudding]

Yes, that's going to be really confusing if the NHS do that.

That isn't what people mean when they give their title as Mx.

[noeffingidea]

Use it if it makes you feel comfortable.
I don't think it's known in mainstream society though, and most people will not know what it means and will most likely look at you as if you have 2 heads. I think even ms isn't that well known.