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Original poster

School yearbook is including pronouns!

29 replies

MsFogi · 11/01/2022 21:57

I have just received the form to pay for dc's yearbook (end of secondary school). It states that pronouns used will be those that are in the school's records. Whilst I can see that the school is in a bit of a difficult place here I am concerned that teenagers who are potentially going through a phase (that is very fashionable now - it seems about 75% of the children use 'pronouns' that don't match their sex in my dc's school) this will be forever captured in their yearbook. I don't know if they are intending to state pronouns next to each name or if they are talking about where they use he/she/they/ze in the individual write ups. Fellow GC MNers - do any of you think I should be concerned/raise this with the school? If so, any steer on this would be great (equally it may be that this is not one to challenge - I have no doubt their heart sinks whenever they get an email from me Grin).

OP posts:
Original poster
MsFogi · 11/01/2022 22:27

I should have also asked if anyone can share what their schools have done.
GoodieMoomin to answer your question I am assuming what they mean is that they'll use what they have on record rather than ask students individually. What I am not clear about is whether they propose to state preferred pronouns next to each name or just which pronouns they'll use in the write up. Any arguments around stating pronouns next to each and every name would be very gratefully received!

OP posts:
GoodieMoomin · 11/01/2022 22:20

Sounds like an absolute minefield! Not to mention silly!

Does the school hold this on file already (GDPR issue?)? If not, are they planning to derive it from a sex or gender marker they already have on record, or ask the kids individually? What's the delay between the cutoff for capturing preferences and going to print?

I think this is going to cause the school a lot of problems

Original poster
MsFogi · 11/01/2022 22:19

Just to clarify - my dc isn't bothered about this. It is more that I have read the letter and wonder whether I should be bothered about it (not for my dc but for all the students who will appear in the year book - so potentially Sarah identifies as Ze/Zim this term and her write up states "Sarah is a fantastic student, ze has achieved blah blah blah..". Roll forward 20 years and Sarah has reverted to she/her, is a politician/has a high profile career however this yearbook (ze/zim) would effectively be part of their public 'record'. I don't feel comfortable with children's 'phases' being stuck with them for life (given that for the vast majority I suspect these ever-changing pronoun choices will be a phase).

OP posts:
EarthSight · 11/01/2022 22:07

If they start asking for individual pronouns, she should say that she does not consent to the school listing her pronouns in the yearbook like this. If they do, she will consider it misgendering as they have not had confirmation from her as to what she feels like on the inside, nor have they received consent to publish it.

Say that seeing her pronouns in print like this is incredibly triggering and forces her to out herself in public.

I wonder what they would say to that......

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