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Original poster

New Zealand Government Dept Pronoun Document

35 replies

MillyMollyFarmer · 11/09/2020 08:19

These islands have been so captured, all the way to the top.
For some time those working in government departments have been encouraged to sign emails with pronouns, this document explains the terms and reasons, as well as stating how to complain if anyone comments on your pronoun use.

A member of my family is in government and doesn’t use them nor wants to, but if everyone else is and the explanation or guide states things like ‘c*s’ as factual, it would be hard not to go along with this, right? If this comes right from the top how could you resist it?

It also states why it’s beneficial:

When cisgender people include pronouns, it normalises it for everyone and protects trans and gender diverse people when they include their pronouns.
Having pronouns in an email signature signals you as an LGBTQIA+ ally.

www.publicservice.govt.nz/our-work/diversity-and-inclusion/pronoun-use-in-email-signatures

MNHQ I used the banned c word as otherwise the document won’t make sense, please edit rather than delete.

OP posts:
BowlerHatPowerHat · 11/09/2020 08:40

From the in meetings section:
Don’t use the term ‘preferred’ or ‘gender’ pronouns - although people often mean well when they use these terms it can imply that pronoun selection is a preference rather than a requirement and using ‘gender’ can ignore agender people.

...pronoun selection is a preference rather than a requirement...

Though:

In your email signature, add your pronouns (she/he/they/ze/etc) after your name.
So just stick 'etc' after your name Grin

aliasundercover · 11/09/2020 08:39

Once again everybody gets to choose how they are described. Everybody, that is, except for 'cisgender' people - they get told what they are by the special people and have to lump it.

CasuallyMasculine · 11/09/2020 08:35

@Islandblue

My view is that is no change without change if that makes sense. I feel that so long as this is voluntary then there are benefits. I personally feel that it is up to an individual person if they want to do this or not and also that this is a good move forward to educate people on differences within society and to be more accepting of variance.
I imagine there are more effective ways to educate people about differences in society than compelling them to use specific words when talking about people in their absence.
BovaryX · 11/09/2020 08:32

I feel that so long as this is voluntary

Does the OP's description suggest that this is 'voluntary?' Voluntary means optional, it means uncoerced. Does this instruction by the government employer to visibly display pronouns sound uncoerced?

Islandblue · 11/09/2020 08:31

@WorkingItOutAsIGo that's a good angle and you could be very right actually. It's a bit like adding your date of birth to your CV...

WorkingItOutAsIGo · 11/09/2020 08:29

Islandblue before you say that, you need to examine whether it’s damaging. It turns out that women who remind people they are women are indeed perceived less favourably at work, so it is damaging. At work I have long gone by Initial Surname in situations where a little obscurity about my sex was beneficial and where people didn’t need to know. Pronouns remove that and force people to notice that someone is female, and lo and behold she then gets paid less etc etc.

So it’s not a neutral kind act: it’s damaging.

Beamur · 11/09/2020 08:28

It's all a one way street isn't it?
With a side helping of emotional blackmail.

PurePeppermint · 11/09/2020 08:28

I work for a central govt department in NZ, and have been in various agencies over the years. I’ve only seen maybe one or two people add it to their email signature. This is not widespread at all.

Islandblue · 11/09/2020 08:24

My view is that is no change without change if that makes sense. I feel that so long as this is voluntary then there are benefits. I personally feel that it is up to an individual person if they want to do this or not and also that this is a good move forward to educate people on differences within society and to be more accepting of variance.

BovaryX · 11/09/2020 08:23

This is compelled speech. The implication of not including these pronouns is to be identified as a 'non ally.' In these circumstances, I imagine the majority of people will comply. Because the price of resistance is potentially career damaging.