Do you secretly judge people who announce their pronouns in their emails?

[Mewmin]

I was reading the thread on BBC pronouns earlier and it got me thinking about my own reaction when I come across people who I had previously respected and looked up to who have put their preferred pronouns in their email signature (all female with obviously female names like Annabelle and Rebecca).

Personally I believe it shows a lack of critical thinking and, working in the academic field, I am finding it very difficult not to alter my view of the (very) few colleagues and work contacts who have done this. In one case it has actually made me think twice about working more closely with someone.

Am I alone in this?

I should add that I am supportive of transpeople's rights but don't think that they should override women's rights and I cannot go along with the lack of logical thinking and tautological definitions used in gender ideology.

Someone else put this on another thread, it’s too good not to share:
mobile.twitter.com/tappy1008/status/1384405655876943874?s=20

Just remember that you cannot be forced to do this!

@FizzyPink do you mean they had a feminine name like Sophie but he/him pronouns? Why would you want to be called by an obviously feminine name to your face but be referred to in your absence as a he?

Sometimes I wonder if this is all just an elaborate April fool.

Yes I judge them. I think it is so bad for women.
It would put me off someone professionally if they used them.

I openly judge and lose respect for anyone who does this. It’s absolutely pathetic in my opinion

I couldn’t care less what people choose to write at the bottom of their emails. I rarely scroll down far enough to see the signature!

Sorry @GNCQ, I put my post up without refreshing the thread and didn’t see yours.

Ridiculous.

Yes, I do. I judge using my inner voice, but my outer rolling of eyes at the first available, safe opportunity. I wonder at exactly what gimmick they wouldn't sell their dignity over.

Even if you don't think people should use pronouns other than those which denote their biological sex (which I'm not really convinced she/her does but equally I'm not prepared to get into an argument about it), there's no denying it's a tricky topic in various organisations so I don't think clarity about one's own preference can ever really be called a lack of critical thinking.

I personally don't care what pronouns people use about me but I can see a case where as a woman I would prefer to use gender neutral ones and that has nothing to do with how I identify it's more about my sex being irrelevant in many cases.

Hate it. Looks very ‘look at meeeeeee!’

I absolutely judge. I haven’t come across anyone sensible that does this. They’re always twats, attention seeking and/or a bit dim.

Yes, I do judge. Lots of people within my organisation do it, and I know that it's not a directive from management.

I have a name that's sometimes used for boys in another culture. If someone I emailed mistakenly thought I was male, I really wouldn't care.

Aside from one person who is non binary I don’t know anyone in their 40s/50s who bother so I tend to assume they are relatively young.

Just burst out laughing at the cat 😂

It’s virtue signalling, but the signal is wonky. It goes in my box where I put “all lives matter” people.

Yes, because at my work there’s been nothing coming down the line about it and if it did it would be compulsory.

Alasdair I don’t need to know on zoom you’re a he/him. We all know one another.

It’s so pathetic.

Mostly I just assume it's work policy as I know a few people who do and that is the reason why. We don't have to as yet thankfully although some people do by choice .

I've actually corresponded through work with someone over email for about ten years who has an Indian name that I wrongly assumed was a man. Never met them in person or looked them up on the Internet.

I saw their photo in a publication recently to find out that they are actually a woman. And apparently her name is a common female name in India but I had no idea, having never come across it before. It has made absolutely no difference to my working relationship with her and thankfully she has no idea I have mentally pictured her as a man for the last ten years

Yes. I find all that totally wanky.

DH were discussing exactly this

Many people in my place of work do this. I don't but not sure whether I can judge people for it because I'm sure some people do it because they think they should or the business expects them to.

Find it very useful, can confidently disregard them as being fuckwits not worth my time.

Yes, I judge, and not so secretly either. They're either idiots or cowards.

@AutumnBrooke no they are female transitioning to male with an obviously female name which they are keeping but want to be referred to as they/them which I find equally confusing as surely you wouldn’t even refer to someone by their pronouns unless they weren’t there anyway. Otherwise you’d just call them by their name

I wonder if people realise they could be harming their careers/reputation by doing this?

Also, this is always a choice. Your employer cannot force you to announce your gender or your pronouns in your email. You have a right to privacy. What about people who are genuinely unsure about their gender? Forcing them to pick a pronoun and display it publicly could be considered harassment and an invasion of privacy.

Don't be taken in that you have to go along with this, employers cannot make you do it.

Not sure if matters in most scenarios if they are male or female as long as they are doing their job. However I may be being too naive.