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.

Fortunately, I don’t know anyone who does that, probably because I don’t work in a particularly ‘woke’ environment. If I did work in the public sector or academia, I might be more likely to encounter such people, and I would certainly raise an eyebrow.

We've recently had it 'suggested' to us at work that we might like to add it to our email signature. I've inwardly eye rolled and ignored. It's fascinating though to see who has diligently complied and I've been quite surprised as to how many have

@bestbefore

I've seen it on linked in a lot, particularly from young women with obviously female names. Just don't get it!

Yes! Same here. A recruiter with an obviously female name and "she/her" in her title tried to connect with me - I found it hugely irritating and deliberately didn't connect because of this.

These young women think they're so woke. But actually they are too uneducated to realise that this really is detrimental to women.

Thw few people I know who do it are very intelligent and valued colleagues.

yes i judge

I wonder if it's confined to certain sectors or is becoming more. widespread. I've often seen this being discussed on MN but have never come across it in RL.

I get a large number of emails at work and I can honestly say I've never seen anyone do this at all.

I don’t judge, exactly, because I think most of the people (in my line of work) who do this are a) young and b) trying to be kind. But I will never ever do it myself even if that means I’m “outed” as a witchy old ‘Karen’ who hates people...

I just find it baffling all round. Ostensibly it’s so that it ‘normalises’ the experience of having pronouns that might be different to how you present your gender. But most trans people (if not non binary etc) will use the pronouns of the gender they’re assuming and make that really obvious. So all it does is make things really odd and confusing.

If you appear to present femininely, with a traditional female name, you’ll probably be called ‘she’ when you’re not around to hear it. And same if you present as masculine etc. Usually that works for all situations- natal born females/males as well as trans.

If you’re non binary then you’ve made a choice that’s non standard and ... eh, I just can’t imagine it can be so important to know that people call you ‘they’ when you’re not around.

I’m sure it’s a failure of imagination, though.

Pronouns just aren’t necessary to know. They’re not. And all this focus on them is counter productive to the stated aim - it confuses and obscures rather than normalises.

I sure do.

I mostly think... ‘you’re the only one who cares"

I might roll my eyes but I don’t judge. I can just imagine when it was first introduced at that work place most people said they didn’t want to take part.

For a new starter, especially if they don’t have as much experience of working life they don’t know if it is genuinely optional on the first day when they set up the signature. It might feel awkward to take it off after that.

Our work's LGBTQ+ champions have encouraged everyone to do this but very few people do. I don't judge really, I think most people have good intentions after all and it's impossible to know why someone's done it. I wouldn't do it myself though.

Like PP I have a foreign name and plenty of people in work and other contacts address me as Mr over email as they don't know my sex. It's not an issue at all, how should they know? If relevant I will sign off my return email with my correct title of Ms and they get the message but it doesn't bother me. I honestly couldn't care less if people mistook me for a bloke, I can't actually see how that could possibly disadvantage me in any way? As a teen I went through a particular androgynous looking phase for a while and thought it was quite amusing if people thought I was male but certainly never been arsed either way.

Yes 100% - I have no professional respect for anyone who includes pronouns in a work email, it shows a complete lack of intellectual rigour.

So you can't be made to do it, can you be made not to do it? I'd love it if a company said - no, this is not part of our image. Or is it going to cause an uproar?

@bestbefore

I've seen it on linked in a lot, particularly from young women with obviously female names. Just don't get it!

It’s not about the women themselves. They are putting themselves out there as an ally, similar to a straight person wearing a rainbow lanyard.

I think it's fine. I'm not sure why it lacks intellectual rigour - I presume the assumption that you are making is anyone with the capacity to think about the topic must agree with me - i imagine that perspective to be more career damaging than choosing a pronoun 🤷‍♀️

Yep tbh I do judge them a bit
Or think they’ve been compelled to follow a work policy, so perhaps not judge them as individuals

GNCQ

I’m with the cat.

It is suggested strongly at work that we do it.

I will not.

The reality in my organisation is 3 people have done it and they are all straight women in their 40s but it makes them seem young and cool. In the work place I don’t want the focus to be on my gender as it’s totally irrelevant to me being able to do my work so highlighting I’m female gender opens me up to known discrimination in everyday sexism terms. My name is sufficient for the recipient of my email and the content of my email the important bit. I don’t care if someone on email thinks I’m a man or wonders if I’m a lesbian. Totally irrelevant to what I’m emailing the person about.

I find it completely self involved in the people who are doing it because it really matters to them. For most people, however, it is just virtue signalling, so more cringy tbh - though I find it worrying in my work as I am in a primary school...when the assistant head is doing it, it's a concern what else is going on.

I don't like it.

My signature is my full name and professional role. Neither my sex not gender are important so I don't use a title (Mr, Ms, Miss or Mrs). If forced (usually on electronic forms I use Dr )

I do not need to announce my sexuality to be sensitive to needs of the LGB community.
I do not need to announce my ethnicity to be sensitive to the needs of the BAME community.
I do not need to announce by sex to be sensitive to women's issues.
I do not need to announce my gender to be sensitive to the needs of the trans community.

Yes, I judge. My work is unlikely to introduce this but if they ever do I will laugh and refuse to comply.

Not secretly with some colleague/friends. Several had no idea of some of the realities. Have had some good discussions.

How the jeff are we meant to remember everyone's combinations? It's exhausting. Fed up of it all. I feel old

I don't think it shows a lack of critical thinking. It could be a lack of good critical thinking but how do you know those persons reasons?

I do think however that its tokenistic. Unless you have a need to clarify your pronouns it is making a show of support. It simply isn't the 'thing' that needs to change.

For trans rights to be recognised there are ethical and legal debates that need to be had and different sides of the argument and risks and losses to be considered.

There has to be a process. Otherwise its just noise.

I don't have strong feelings either way other than the thought that the bigger fight is against economic exploitation and abuses of power.