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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Why do we need pronouns when we have names?

294 replies

Cannotgarden · 13/04/2021 12:06

I am admittedly not up to date with the discussion about trans issues but my work has just asked us all to add pronouns onto our email signatures. I'm confused though because most names are gendered and my understanding was that people who wished to pretend to be a different sex, change their name anyway. So why would we need the pronouns?

I also find that personally I have no time to spend worrying about my own gender. I am just 'cannotgarden' so does this mean I can have no pronouns and demand that they use my name every time instead? I really wish they'd spend more effort sorting out the huge gender pay issue we have instead Hmm

OP posts:
Scepticaltank · 17/04/2021 17:11

Its very clear you can't see your own prejudice. But that is ok because you can't impose it on others easily or for long.

Butwasitherdriveway · 17/04/2021 17:09

Which is fine

But going back to earlier arguments

Is using the name all the time in conversations fair on people who have less cognitive ability and mau trip over it?

CorvusPurpureus · 17/04/2021 17:07

I don't think you're being entirely transparent in pretending that using the name constantly is a natural language.

I'm not pretending that for a minute Grin. But it's an acquired one for anyone who posts regularly in this section of MN. Not our first rodeo, & all that.

Butwasitherdriveway · 17/04/2021 17:02

@Scepticaltank

Yes, you did, and my point ws that workplaces are judgemental.

There are extremely strict limits on what judgements can be used in a disciplinary.

There are very limited judgements that can be used in performance assessment.

Individuals can be as judgemental as they like, but they can't successfully demand legal or disciplinary action over everything that comes to mind or offends them.

What you are promoting is prejudice against people that have perfectly reasonable opinions and for people to be made anxious and stressed that their employer will retaliate, even though you could not actually provide evidence of the case law you insisted was there, nor are there mandatory workplace policies or contracts of employment that demand pronouns in bio.

This is scaremongering.

Nope, nope and no again.
Scepticaltank · 17/04/2021 17:01

Yes, you did, and my point ws that workplaces are judgemental.

There are extremely strict limits on what judgements can be used in a disciplinary.

There are very limited judgements that can be used in performance assessment.

Individuals can be as judgemental as they like, but they can't successfully demand legal or disciplinary action over everything that comes to mind or offends them.

What you are promoting is prejudice against people that have perfectly reasonable opinions and for people to be made anxious and stressed that their employer will retaliate, even though you could not actually provide evidence of the case law you insisted was there, nor are there mandatory workplace policies or contracts of employment that demand pronouns in bio.

This is scaremongering.

Butwasitherdriveway · 17/04/2021 17:01

@CorvusPurpureus

Well, no.

If it was needed in the conversation, I'd replace: Penelope said bla bla, with: Penelope said 'Fuck off Mrs X you sad old trout, you're always bloody picking on me & I hate Biology anyway'

See? Still no pronouns required.

Old trout Grin

I don't think you're being entirely transparent in pretending that using the name constantly is a natural language.

CorvusPurpureus · 17/04/2021 16:59

Well, no.

If it was needed in the conversation, I'd replace: Penelope said bla bla, with: Penelope said 'Fuck off Mrs X you sad old trout, you're always bloody picking on me & I hate Biology anyway'

See? Still no pronouns required.

Butwasitherdriveway · 17/04/2021 16:57

@CorvusPurpureus

I know, I'm a teacher.

So I'd report whatever Penelope said verbatim when that was required. As a direct quote from Penelope. Which wouldn't be at the point where I was picking up a work pack.

Right.

So when this conversation was happening , you can see the difficulties in the above?

Nice pedantry.

Butwasitherdriveway · 17/04/2021 16:56

@Tanith

Dear me, I did stir up a hornets nest! I wonder if I’ve been screen-shotted? Smile

For the record ‘Jonny’ is not ‘Jonny’s’ real name (at least, the name on the email). I used ‘Jonny’ because it’s a unisex name: could be Jonathan or Jonquil or Joanna or...
...so, anyway, Jonny does in fact have a female name. Not that it matters so much with they/them pronouns. Maybe Jonny isn’t so convinced about this non-binary stuff after all.

Believe me, I care even less about Jonny’s choice of bed partner that I do about Jonny’s pronouns.
That’s my point: I don’t want to know, I don’t need to know, any more than I need to know Jonny’s favourite fruit or the football team Jonny may follow.
If Jonny really does care so much that it needs to be stated on every business email that Jonny sends, then I respectfully suggest that Jonny really doesn’t have a great deal of life experience.

I don't know what screen shorted means in this context lol.

I think the point PPs were making is that people often confuse sexuality and gender.

The thing is Tanith, it's just not cool to constantly make out this is a self indulgence issue. It isn't.

CorvusPurpureus · 17/04/2021 16:55

I know, I'm a teacher.

So I'd report whatever Penelope said verbatim when that was required. As a direct quote from Penelope. Which wouldn't be at the point where I was picking up a work pack.

Tanith · 17/04/2021 16:54

Dear me, I did stir up a hornets nest! I wonder if I’ve been screen-shotted? Smile

For the record ‘Jonny’ is not ‘Jonny’s’ real name (at least, the name on the email). I used ‘Jonny’ because it’s a unisex name: could be Jonathan or Jonquil or Joanna or...
...so, anyway, Jonny does in fact have a female name. Not that it matters so much with they/them pronouns. Maybe Jonny isn’t so convinced about this non-binary stuff after all.

Believe me, I care even less about Jonny’s choice of bed partner that I do about Jonny’s pronouns.
That’s my point: I don’t want to know, I don’t need to know, any more than I need to know Jonny’s favourite fruit or the football team Jonny may follow.
If Jonny really does care so much that it needs to be stated on every business email that Jonny sends, then I respectfully suggest that Jonny really doesn’t have a great deal of life experience.

Butwasitherdriveway · 17/04/2021 16:51

@CorvusPurpureus

Penelope was removed because Penelope said to Mrs X that Penelope didn't want to do Penelope's work because Penelope felt like Penelope was bla bla.

Penelope was removed for being rude to Mrs X & refusing to complete the work set. Penelope said bla bla.

See? Easy.

Doesn't work.

We have a responsibility on most occasions to report incidents word for word at the time.

One person's rude is another person's not.

CorvusPurpureus · 17/04/2021 16:49

Penelope was removed because Penelope said to Mrs X that Penelope didn't want to do Penelope's work because Penelope felt like Penelope was bla bla.

Penelope was removed for being rude to Mrs X & refusing to complete the work set. Penelope said bla bla.

See? Easy.

Butwasitherdriveway · 17/04/2021 16:47

@Ereshkigalangcleg

The posts about someone actively misgendering someone to their face.

There's no need, because you don't use third person pronouns to someone's face. If you're speaking about a person in their hearing to someone else, using a third person pronoun is often considered rude ("who's "she", the cats mother?") so you can simply use their name.

Yes but in conversation this doesn't happen

Il give you a day to day example in my role with pupils who have been isolated. Let's use Penelope, who is a they.

Hi Boss, I'm just getting Penelope's work.
Aw okay. Where is Penelope?
Penelope is in room xyz doing work for xyz.
Why was Penelope removed?
Penelope was removed because Penelope said to Mrs X that Penelope didn't want to do Penelope's work because Penelope felt like Penelope was bla bla.

See how ridiculous that becomes?

CorvusPurpureus · 17/04/2021 16:46

Exactly Eresh.

With a student, it might involve quite a few awkward circumlocutions, but I reckon anyone with a few months practice on FWR trying to avoid deletion could quite quickly adapt.

Butwasitherdriveway · 17/04/2021 16:45

@Scepticaltank

The reason OP is calling herself brave is because people will mumble on here but wouldn't actually do it.

The OP has not called herself brave. That's you assigning your own prejudice.

Of course workplaces are judgemental! You are judged on how you look to how you speak to how you operate.

I said this pronoun email and the associated prejudice about motivations is TOO JUDGEMENTAL for the work place.

Sorry I'm in two very similar threads. In the other ones she is calling herself brave for not using pronouns. I think I've done that a couple of times.

Yes, you did, and my point ws that workplaces are judgemental.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 17/04/2021 16:41

The posts about someone actively misgendering someone to their face.

There's no need, because you don't use third person pronouns to someone's face. If you're speaking about a person in their hearing to someone else, using a third person pronoun is often considered rude ("who's "she", the cats mother?") so you can simply use their name.

Scepticaltank · 17/04/2021 16:36

The reason OP is calling herself brave is because people will mumble on here but wouldn't actually do it.

The OP has not called herself brave. That's you assigning your own prejudice.

Of course workplaces are judgemental! You are judged on how you look to how you speak to how you operate.

I said this pronoun email and the associated prejudice about motivations is TOO JUDGEMENTAL for the work place.

Bluebellbike · 17/04/2021 16:32

My DD has decided to identify as non-binary. I have difficulty remembering to use "them" or "their" outside of their presence. My DD dresses and uses make-up in a very feminine way, which makes it extremely difficult. My DS is a trans man and I had no problems referring to him with male pronouns from when he changed his name. With my DD it's so much trickier to remember.

Butwasitherdriveway · 17/04/2021 16:30

Of course workplaces are judgemental! You are judged on how you look to how you speak to how you operate.

People get jobs that shouldn't and people don't get jobs that should. In the real world.

Butwasitherdriveway · 17/04/2021 16:29

@Scepticaltank

It's very easy to call it a pointless drama when it doesn't affect you directly.

The thread is about people feeling pressured to put pronouns in their email. How does that not affect me personally? I am one of the people. You are insisting that my disinterest should lead me to be disciplined.

You are already reacting to my statement of why not emotionally by invoking the importance of others feelings taking precedence over mine. They don't.

This is far more judgemental than is acceptable at work. Never going to fly.

Do you think we are going to go to an Executive Committee meeting with a list of no pronoun offenders with a report on the motivations of each miscreant for the CEO to say, Ok we need 455 disciplinary actions, start tomorrow.

Yeah right.

But here's the thing.

The reason OP is calling herself brave is because people will mumble on here but wouldn't actually do it.

The posts about someone actively misgendering someone to their face...nobody is going to do it.

Butwasitherdriveway · 17/04/2021 16:29

@CorvusPurpureus

I'm with you, HipTightOnions. IME the vast majority of us dislike lying to our students or modelling inaccurate language.

I'd use the name. Every time.

I can only assume this is hypothetical.
Butwasitherdriveway · 17/04/2021 16:28

@HipTightOnions

But let's say you have to refer to the child to other staff...

I would call a boy “him” and a girl “her”. If a colleague thought I was wrong I would be glad to discuss it.

...or pupils

More difficult. I would use the child’s name and would not welcome a discussion about it.

It's not about thinking you're wrong.

Your professional practice would be called into question.

I don't know a single colleague who would misgender a child willingly.

CorvusPurpureus · 17/04/2021 16:27

I'm with you, HipTightOnions. IME the vast majority of us dislike lying to our students or modelling inaccurate language.

I'd use the name. Every time.

Scepticaltank · 17/04/2021 16:26

It's very easy to call it a pointless drama when it doesn't affect you directly.

The thread is about people feeling pressured to put pronouns in their email. How does that not affect me personally? I am one of the people. You are insisting that my disinterest should lead me to be disciplined.

You are already reacting to my statement of why not emotionally by invoking the importance of others feelings taking precedence over mine. They don't.

This is far more judgemental than is acceptable at work. Never going to fly.

Do you think we are going to go to an Executive Committee meeting with a list of no pronoun offenders with a report on the motivations of each miscreant for the CEO to say, Ok we need 455 disciplinary actions, start tomorrow.

Yeah right.