The Times - BBC advises all staff to use trans‑friendly pronouns

This is only fine if it’s equally fine to say in your auto signature ‘I do not subscribe to genderist dogma. I respect people who identify as trans as much as I respect any other person but that doesn’t require me to place performative pronouns on my auto signature. Pronouns don’t belong to anyone except the person who voices them. people must be free to describe each other accurately. Colleagues are not at work in order to validate each other’s subjective wishes around gender identity. Gender is a trap. Sex matters. I regard the above statements as important because they are anti-sexist and anti-homophobic.’

I think Stonewall claim that 1% of the population is trans, so by that number (and it's from Stonewall so I don't take it as Gospel) that's double the national average for BBC staff members on recent survey.

Make sense.

I wonder how many work on say Good Morning Britain.

What they cannot seem to get their heads around is that if they didn't have to make a great big fuss about it, most people would be politely tolerant and live and let live. The more they ram this stuff down everyone's throats and force a reaction, the more they're going to get people annoyed enough to start saying this is silly, this has nothing to do with the massive majority of the population, and here are the things wrong with and offensive about it to others who aren't part of this clique with all its vocabulary. It isn't inclusive in any way.

And yes, the BBC should have lost the licence fee a long time ago.

The broadcaster is encouraging all staff to start including their pronouns
A nonsensical statement. People don't have their own pronouns. The pronoun each person uses to refer to themselves is "I".

so people know how they wish to be addressed
Doesn't make any sense. The way you address someone is with the pronoun "you". You don't address someone with a third-person pronoun. You refer to someone with a third-person pronoun, you don't address them with it.

We really need schools to teach people some grammar.

It draws attention to gender non-conforming people and means they have to put themselves in a box.

It draws attention to the sex of people who might feel like their work is being judged and belittled on the basis of their sex - women.

It is compelling the speech of people who don’t subscribe to this particular ideology.

It’s in direct conflict with the English language which uses pronouns appropriate for sex, not gender.

But it benefits the fewer than 2%, who without this bending the remaining 98% to their will, will complain they feel “unsafe”.

No.

BBC staff are urged to “help to create a culture where everyone feels comfortable introducing themselves with pronouns”.

What about the people who don't feel comfortable introducing themselves with pronouns for all the reasons stated by PP?

How do they make their feelings known?

The BBC are going to make it easier for the license fee to be removed by doing this.

It's depressing. I'm a champion of the organisation but they are making it increasingly difficult even for the likes of me.

You know I almost feel like this does gender non-conforming people a disservice as it forces them to constantly draw attention to their gender identity and place themselves in a box.

Completely agree.

You know I almost feel like this does gender non-conforming people a disservice as it forces them to constantly draw attention to their gender identity and place themselves in a box.

I know a lovely, fairly quiet man in his 40s, married with kids, who has always expressed his feminine side ever since I knew him as a young man (e.g. wearing flowery tops sometimes, nail polish etc) but he has never gone on about it or claimed to be anything other than a man, and uses the men's loos. I always think of him when it comes to declaring pronouns - it's like he's being forced to actually say "yes I use he/him so I'm definitely 100% male" or "I prefer she/her so I'm openly defining myself as trans" or "I'm they/them and want to openly declare I'm non-binary". Of course I'm massively projecting here and he may be fine with the declaring pronouns thing, but it just feels unhelpful to me and doesn't allow people any subtlety or privacy.

Good morning. This is Today with Justin Webb, he/him, and Martha Kearney, she/her. The headlines this morning ...

So in situations such as negotiations or even contributing ideas, which women are often penalised due to their sex, wouldn't this be further disadvantaging women?

Isnt this where all women shortlists come in? Oh wait...

So if we are told that your sex or sexuality shouldn’t matter in your career - why the hell shoudl how you choose to present yourself to the world?

Aren't there studies that show women being reminded of their sex in situations where there are negative stereotypes associated with performance (in a maths test for example), it does actual create a negative impact on their performance?

So in situations such as negotiations or even contributing ideas, which women are often penalised due to their sex, wouldn't this be further disadvantaging women?

£20 - are you kidding? £2k more like (a free pack comes with stonewall training surely)

Yes Serenity, you are right.

This is also the problem with the toilets issue. Acknowledging the reasons that toilets are important for different groups, and that provision is inadequate for many people, and that investment needs to be made in infrastructure is £££££.

Putting a new sticker on a door is maybe £20.

It’s easy and free though isn’t it?

Paying women the same rate as males - ££
Making loos disabled accessible - ££
Installing handrails/Braille/ signs/ramps - ££
Widening doors, lowering reception desks etc for wheelchair users - ££
Changing lighting - ££
Bringing in BSL signers for meetings - ££
Etc etc etc.

Isn't there masses of evidence on bias around sex in the workplace?

It's only 6 months since Samira Ahmed won her court case demonstrating that there is very DEFINITELY bias around sex at the BBC.

Now the BBC want women to declare that they identify with the bullshit gender expectations that led them to be paid less.

Perhaps they think it will save them some money.

I am so sick of this bullshit wokeness.
Like just sick of it.

Many years ago I worked with a female named Lee & a male named Leigh all in the same department.

Sometimes others would assume their sex if they had not met them. It was always cleared up & no offence taken & no email pronouns used.

So that included staff worldwide? I’d love to see how that is explained in parts do the world where these things won’t be understood (ie no pronouns) or where it’s illegal to be gay.

Cultural imperialism at the BBC?