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.

I judge hard. In the army... you're a colonel called Dave. You literally wouldn't be if your pronouns weren't sex based. The patriarchy is why you exist.

I recruited a civil servant deputy who started recently and she asked me this week if I thought email pronouns were bollocks. I was so relieved.

Load of shit.

It’s fucking inane.

Yes.

I don't judge, apart from when my boss added 'he/him' it to his signature.

He's a very intimidating, misogynistic, bullish, loud, inappropriate 'lad' and the very definition of toxic masculinity.

I don’t necessarily judge because it might be a genuinely well meaning attempt to be inclusive and make trans people feel welcome - but it does make me uncomfortable because I worry it’s a political statement that women who think sex plays a role in their oppression are bigots.

People don't do this to seem 'cool'.

They are normalising putting your pronouns in emails etc to make a marginalised group of people feel more comfortable.

If it was any other thing to make any other group of people feel more comfortable, there wouldn't even be a discussion, but because its to do with trans people then it's OK to eye roll and belittle people doing something to help while patting yourselves on the back for being so wonderful.

I judge them as being young/immature virtue signallers, strangely desperate for external validation - fairly openly.

Each to their own....... But if someone asked me such a ridiculous question I'd hoik my massive bosom, rest my chin on it and thourghly and studiously give that person ' the look'.

Not at all difficult you may have seen links to very interesting research about compelled speech, the effect on the woman sender and recipient of seeing ‘she her’ on emails. Etc etc. That’s before even getting into any of the rather more fundamental issues it raises.

work had Gender Free January and all actively encouraged to publish our pronouns,fuck off to that and also sent a guide on how to be gender free and also "how to challenge the unconscious bias". On calls we used to play corporate bullshit bingo but have now added woke bonus points.

I don't give it much thought in emails, unless it's attached to a conference or similar event that is pushing the identity information everywhere and then I more question whether I should attend.

I've had a few in the last year where I've been required to give my preferred pronouns to register. I've pushed back by stating the honest truth that I prefer to see how others identify me - it's part of why I chose a unisex name (that I've enjoyed in the last year on Zoom making a pronunciation guide where others put pronouns, because that's what's important to me).

@FelicityBeedle I like it. Encourages exclusivity and normalises asking people, not a popular MN opinion though

Did you mean inclusivity?

The push for people to give their pronouns in this way upfront is partially because the move to 'normalize asking people' backfired as some with dysphoria find being asked makes dysphoria worse. It's bringing attention to something that may be a source of distress so that's not surprising.

No amount of normalizing is going to make me feel included or comfortable by making my sex or gender something someone absolutely needs to know about me upfront and I must label myself for them anymore than any other demographic information that is irrelevant to the situation.

I have no idea why you'd have a problem with it. Maybe people who do it with "obviously male or female names" are doing it to make others feel confident in doing it also.
If it's important to someone and makes their life a bit easier why judge, what do you know about them and their experiences

Hmm I wonder what gender free means. I would assume it means that gender doesn't matter in the workplace so why would they then want you to prominently display your chosen gender pronouns on your email?!

I need to know their name.
I need to know what job they do.
What department they work in.
What their contact details are.
I dont need to know their sex or pronouns.

Its so self indulgent.

I watched a programme about makeup artists the other night and they all had their pronouns after their name on screen. Why? It's not as if the viewer is going to be addressing them.

No, I don’t judge

We don't use pronouns on our emails at work. I have never received an email from anyone else who has added their pronoun on either.

I think some people overthink things too much. Like LastRoloIsMine I just need to know thier name, job title and department.

Hate it. In my view it looks ridiculous and unnecessary. For a start, why would you address someone you’re writing to as he or she? You wouldn’t, you’d use their name. I get that it is supposedly an attempt to normalise diverse pronouns etc but I don’t think it’s the right way. It’s virtue signalling at its finest. I’ve also only seen she/her and he/him so far, all on signatures of people where their names make their sex perfectly evident, so struggling to see what it achieves. If a trans person wanted to ensure they were addressed the correct way then by all means add the pronoun but I don’t see why it needs to be universal.

To be fair, the only people I’ve seen using them in a work context are all at the same company so it’s probably standard across the board there (yes I know they can’t be forced but a lot of people are reluctant to kick up a fuss...)

Unfortunately my own workplace seems to be becoming more and more woke by the day so it probably won’t be long before we go down the same route

What’ll be next? Sign offs to include (‘gay/homosexual’) / (‘straight/heterosexual’)’ / (‘pan sexual/ non binary’)...? Ok I’m being facetious but it does feel like we’re headed that way ...

It's pathetic woke shite.

Have no issue with it at all. I reserve judgement for the dipshits who Reply All to everything.

Surprisingly, in my social care workplace, I haven't had an email which includes pronouns yet.
But, boy, would I judge.
I would regard it as virtue signalling or self obsession of the worst kind. And unprofessional.
And tiresome.

I roll my eyes, and think they're probably a daft woke twat who spends more time uploading worthy patronising rubbish about 'gender' issues to Workplace than actually doing their job.

I would assume they were a slightly low witted sheep type but I haven’t come across it at all yet.
If I were forced (which I won’t be as I am the boss) I would be tempted to put he/him as I am so blatantly a woman.

God I hope I dont ever work somewhere which encourages this bullshit

I roll my eyes especially when it's 'he/him' followed by 'head of...' No shit!