MS are handing out pronoun badges to their staff

LGB Alliance @ALLIANCELGB
1./ What's the TRUTH about LGB Alliance? Our critics like to claim we're funded by extremists and, despite the fact we've many trans supporters, that we don't support trans rights, even although we do. So WHY do so many people believe the myths?
twitter.com/ALLIANCELGB/status/1450846531305840648

Myths LGBA
lgballiance.org.uk/myths/

"[LGBA] are representing same sex attracted LGB, aren't they"

They don't exist to "help LGB people", they exist to oppose the rights of trans people:

It seems to me this doesn't necessary mean Tunnucks are anti-trans, they donate to a wide range of orgs and probably thought LGBA was just another gay-rights org (an easy mistake to make given their name) without really knowing who they are. I hope they are aware now

No one here has been saying that Tunnocks are 'anti-trans' and no one wants them to be. Also, no one is 'anti-trans'. Simply, we are pro-women and pro women's own spaces and we understand sexed identity as having a biological basis. So that accusation is both incorrect and offensive.

I might take a mosey through today (I have to pass 3 large branches) and see if o can spot the pronoun. It’s like Pokemon

I don't even like wearing my name tag at all, let alone putting some pronouns on them. I don't want creepers finding out my full name and stalking me.

Customers don't need to know my name either - have a problem with my work? Give a time you were served and the manager can see who was working as and when.

Thankfully, I already don't shop at M&S so this is an easy swerve but I think the next big thing should be eradicating name tags, personally.

Was it the milk people and potatoes (?) who went down the same theme?

Many thanks for getting in touch. As I’m sure you will understand Tunnock’s Biscuits receive hundreds of donation requests per week. Our policy is we try and give a little to a lot, and the last thing we expect, is to offend anyone. We fully appreciate your stance, and thank you for bringing the matter to our attention, and will of course look into the matter."

Yes Margarita, that's what's known in the trade as a brush off. Well played, Tunnocks, show the world that not everyone gives into purity spiralling Twitter tantrums.

I guess they won’t l know unless you tell them.

Sales are down...let the change the clothes ranges... nothing to do with pronouns and unisex changing rooms... lalalala

I hope that everyone who is now boycotting M&S will be checking that the new companies they support are not doing pronoun badges.

[quote AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken]It may be an opportune moment to share this thread:

archive.md/bBshL[/quote]
Good god. It's paints the background to all this and why pronoun badges are not benign unless you're actually trans and not necessary for any trans person presenting at their gender identity.

(Question: don't want to derail but was there a thread on the trans-sister in law demanding to be be in the room when she was giving birth?)

I could be wrong, it may just be a blip on their website, but you can’t email M&S at the moment or contact them except via web chat, and that doesn’t touch a real person.

I’m going with they’ve turned off the ability for customers to let them know how ridiculous pronouns badges are. And political and uncomfortable-making. I had been boycotting them over the changing rooms then cracked and had ordered some furniture.

I’ll vote with my feet again.

They are a legally registered charity representing same sex attracted LGB, aren't they?

I see the pronoun badges as a nightmare, my eyesight is poor, so I don't even usually see name badges, let alone pronoun subscript.

One the pronouns are written and on display, there will be an expectation that they be used. I'm not particularly comfortable with such an expectation.

I tend to think, in customer service, the fewer communication barriers/concerns, the more likely customers are to seek help and feel satisfied.

If I have to worry about whether or not compelled speech is required, how I'm going to handle that and what might go wrong; I just wouldn't bother at all.

Not that I shop there anymore anyway since the changing rooms became mixed.

Well, this is annoying. I haven’t shopped at M&S for a few years. First, because I was out of the country for a while and second, because of the changing rooms and online underwear reviews.

But time has passed and I need some new underwear. So last week, I put £310 worth of underwear in my online shopping basket.

And then I read about the pronoun badges.

I will not be returning to my M&S shopping trolley. Bye bye Autograph undies. I’ll find somewhere else to go.

Some people might think that is an overreaction and cutting my nose off to spite my face but let me explain why I am doing that.

1. This wokery crap makes me roll my eyes.
2. I believe pronoun badges (like pronouns in emails) actively harm women.*
3. I’m not convinced they ( pronoun badges) actually support transgender people anyway.

I will not support a company that does not support and actively harms them.

• actively harms. Could I have used the phrase ‘literal violence’ here? I mean harm in the sense that it alters the way women are both perceived and treated in business to their detriment. I now also see it as a political statement with which I do not agree. I do not support politics in the work place.

"Tunnocks are getting my support"

I emailed Tunnocks at the time to ask if they were aware who they had donated to, and this was their reply:

"Many thanks for getting in touch. As I’m sure you will understand Tunnock’s Biscuits receive hundreds of donation requests per week. Our policy is we try and give a little to a lot, and the last thing we expect, is to offend anyone. We fully appreciate your stance, and thank you for bringing the matter to our attention, and will of course look into the matter."

It seems to me this doesn't necessary mean Tunnucks are anti-trans, they donate to a wide range of orgs and probably thought LGBA was just another gay-rights org (an easy mistake to make given their name) without really knowing who they are. I hope they are aware now.

Complain?

Maybe M&S will drop SW to save money when they see their initiatives don't increase their sales margins, possibly even decrease them.

I have a Christmas food order booked, but now will not order above that and no Christmas biscuits etc.

Tunnocks are getting my support.

I guess it completely depends on what advice stonewall give them to push it.

Not even advice - if they're submitting to be ranked in the Workplace Equality Index (which would largely be driven by their LGBT+ Network, so the same people), the take-up metrics would represent a significant internal indicator of success or failure.

Obviously, if it fails to catch on, it's not a strand worth reporting in their WEI submission. And since it costs money to get new badges, it makes commercial sense that the initiative would net them Stonewall points.

So companies end up putting themselves under pressure to promote trans initiatives, even outside of Stonewall’s advice to them.

Maybe i am being naive and hopeful

Sorry, link didn't work -www.holyrood.com/news/view,majority-of-scottish-government-civil-servants-say-theyll-never-add-pronouns-to-their-email-signatures

Unless they go down the Scottish Government route of 'encouraging' staff to declare pronouns - www.holyrood.com/news/view,majority-of-scottish-government-civil-servants-say-theyll-never-add-pronouns-to-their-email-signatures

If in a year they review this initiative and only 20 people for example have asked for preferred pronoun badges that sends a pretty strong message that no one wabts this.

I suppose i am clinging to the hope that if enough people ignore, treat with contempt etc. it will undermine the madness and it will slowly die a death.