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.

Absolutely hate it.

I’ve been weeding out a shortlist for a role in recruiting for, and cross referencing CVS with LinkedIn profiles (you’d be amazed how often the 2 don’t add up...)
Anyone with their pronouns on their LinkedIn has gone straight into the reject pile

Yes, judge, eye roll and sigh

@OverTheRubicon

I think it makes at least some sense at a conference or meeting where you might conceivably refer to an attendee in the third person. It's ok then for the Annabelles and Stephens to still do the he/him etc, so that people with foreign names / androgynous looks / who define themselves differently don't have to single themselves out.

I don't like it on LinkedIn and emails. When we're talking to each other we don't need to use gendered language anyway, as 'you' is gender neutral, and all it does is draw further attention to the fact that I'm a woman in a field where most people automatically assume that men are more skilled.

Argh, me too, and this does my head in! Even over on the ‘I’m surprised how much a road costs’ thread people were like man, man, a man does this, man, another man, oh a man.

I loathe the use of she/her or he/him on emails, it literally makes no difference what so ever. Unless youre part of a micro community where your name is Gregory and you’re a woman or something.

Luckily I can’t see if going anywhere in our company, ever, most are related anyway so what’s the point.

Yep, eye roll here. Why would I send an email back to someone referring to them in the third person? Moreover, I work in a school so my work email address comes from "Ms Torschlusspanik"; I don't think my pronouns need to be spelled out. Fortunately this has not yet crept into my workplace but I'm worried it'll only be a matter of time.

Not something I've come across as Finnish only has the neutral pronoun (thank fuck for that) but I would be sad for any women that felt they have to put their pronouns, as calling attention to their sex can be detrimental for their work (clients viewing them as less capable for instance).

Yes I bloody well do judge them for being absurd and ridiculous.
I'm very near retirement and everyday much much nearer to telling people to just fuck off.

I’ve only seen it done by young women who are trying to be inclusive and kind, without thinking through where it leads. They all have very obviously female names too.

Strangely I’ve never seen a man add his pronouns, though one who gives me the creeps, has prompted a discussion at work. Makes me wonder what is in his bedroom drawers.

@ThePlantsitter, if you were a 'grammar purist', you'd know that singular 'they' has been used since Shakespeare's time and is well accepted today.

I often wonder what is wrong with using Mr or Ms before the name if you have a gender neutral name AND are bothered about people not being sure about your identity.

I will never jump on the pronouns bandwagon, because if it becomes widely used by the majority, we will be forcing the people we are trying to help to lie or come out before they are ready.

My name is obviously a "female" name if that's even allowed anymore. If anyone ever mis-gendered me I would find it highly amusing. I would not take offence.

I’ve only seen it done by young women who are trying to be inclusive and kind

The ones that I know who use them tend to be judgemental short minded people in managing or coordination roles, who are too worried about making sure people know they are “inclusive” regardless of what their actions and word show.

There are a few people at work who have added pronouns out of just over 1000 members of staff. The ones I've seen so far are from people who have unisex names or foreign names most people wouldn't immediately recognise. The first one I saw was from a man named Ashley and I have to admit, I had assumed he was a woman for quite a while before we spoke on the phone.

BTW Like many Japanese women I have a name that may appear masculine to western cultures. I find it as funny when people look surprised I am not a man as much as I find it funny they cannot even pronounce it. Doesn’t offend me at all.

Having said that... I understand why Ashley can feel frustrated... I am in a different culture, he is not.

@masterofthechef

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.

How can you have gender free January but then be expected to announce your gendered pronouns? Surely that’s completely contradictory? I have seen she/her/hers - what other plural could there possibly be? Theirs I suppose - but that version has made me eyeroll more than others.

In many workplaces, including my own (creative industry), it is 'optional' in very inverted commas.

Given the hours and hours of DE&I training we have had to go on, the endless references to it in every single meeting, every strategic plan, every leadership communication etc., it is so high on the priority list that I honestly think it ranks above actually doing your job well.

If people hadn't complied with the pronoun request they would definitely be poorly judged by those with decision making powers for promotions, and for me, as a senior manager, there really was no real choice.

I don't like it, but I am over 40 and history will probably prove me to be old and out of touch 🤷

Anyone with their pronouns on their LinkedIn has gone straight into the reject pile

That’s a really twatty and uninclusive way to run your recruitment.

Yes I would judge. I hate it
It's why I have stopped shopping at Sainsbury
A lot of my work is with people with dementia and I fear for how they will cope if this increases. How will they react and be treated if they come across an obvious male or female with the opposite pronouns
We know from how the young ASD chap was treated regarding the transman pcso that cognitive or neuro issues do not carry any weight when it comes to this powerful ideology

I see this a lot in my line of work. No I come to think of it, it’s she/her in a ratio of 10 to 1 over he/him. Men clearly don’t seem to feel the need to claim their identity in the same way.

[quote tenlittlecygnets]@ThePlantsitter, if you were a 'grammar purist', you'd know that singular 'they' has been used since Shakespeare's time and is well accepted today. [/quote]
Shakespeare texts do not demonstrate 'correct' modern grammar usage. I don't really disagree people should use 'they' if they want though, it just does make me wince internally because it sounds plural not singular when talking about someone specific. I personally would prefer a different gender neutral pronoun for clarity.

But that isn't the point of the thread. I don't judge people for stating their pronouns as I said previously.

Yep, my organisation has been massively pushing this. I see it in almost everyone’s emails now. Though I had to laugh when I got an email from a guy the other day who after his name had just wrote “Mr” in brackets instead! Luckily I’m in a small team with a direct manager who couldn’t care less about this stuff (although he’s given into the pressure and has pronouns in his email signature). I won’t be doing it. I’m not a manager, nor do I want to be.

@GappyValley

Absolutely hate it.

I’ve been weeding out a shortlist for a role in recruiting for, and cross referencing CVS with LinkedIn profiles (you’d be amazed how often the 2 don’t add up...)
Anyone with their pronouns on their LinkedIn has gone straight into the reject pile

Sounds like you are dabbling in indirect discrimination since you presumably are aware that there is a better than average chance that people that voluntarily put preferred pronouns on LinkedIn may be LGBTQ+

And on a practical level, if you did this to my non-binary adult child, you'd be missing out on an exceptionally talented and hard working individual.

It's some workplaces policy. Whilst normally I roll my eyes at these sorts of things, having dealt with a very multicultural client base, knowing whether they were male or female would have been very handy when I didn't recognise the first name as typically of one gender. Plus remember some typically female or male names are used for the opposite. I was expected to use mr/Mrs surname and yes I made mistakes easily avoided if I knew their pronouns!

Well said AChickenCalledDaal

work had Gender Free January and all actively encouraged to publish our pronouns,

Regardless of opinions on pronouns in emails, why on earth would they be pushed during a “gender free” month? Wouldn’t something like “gender awareness month” or “trans awareness month” have been a fit for what they wanted to do.
Gender free month would surely include removing any indicators such as Mr/Mrs and replacing all first names with initials in email signatures. So instead of “Ms Kate Fleming (she/her)” you’d just have “K Fleming”.