Just a reminder of how using 'pronouns' is not the harmless, respectful action that some people frame them to be. And I know that OP has not suggested this, but this is for anyone who dismisses using preferred pronouns as being harmless.
Firstly, the Cass report says it is not a neutral act.
cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/
But then collectively, using pronouns has allowed activists to leverage ‘but society sees us as women therefore it is so cruel to exclude us’ from where they want to access.
This has meant male people (including at schools) accessing female toilets.
However, it is not limited to this access. On media, social media, and MN is a great example, failure to use preferred pronouns leads to deletions. Less so now, since Isla Bryson. But it still happens. There is significant harm if female people cannot use accurate, precise and clear language to discuss their needs and where they see harm being done.
Shaming women for not using pronouns, or misgendering, is an act of silencing. It is an act of removing the very language that we need to discuss our needs.
And I have seen people dismiss this with 'but what about the individual? Surely you would be 'kind / respectful / just a decent human being / insert whatever shaming phrase you have seen being used,' to an individual person.
However, the reality is undeniable. And it is all language demands, not just pronouns. Individual's have leveraged this act of 'kindness / respect / whatever' to harm female people collectively. Sport is just one of area that this has been done.
Cyclist McKinnon/Ivy stood infront of policy makers and argued that it was cruel and inhumane to deny males trans people the right to compete as their chosen gender. Why? Because surely society at large accepted they were ‘female’ as people used their female pronouns and treated them a female. We are still campaigning to reverse the policies where this person consulted. McKinnon/Ivy talked to the IOC about transgender athlete inclusion in around 2018/19 I believe.
Mridul Wadhwa is another. Applied for a female advertised job role and was made CEO of the Edinburgh rape crisis centre. Because everyone treats this male individual as a female.
I think Naomi Cunningham has summed it up rather well in this interview.
Naomi Cunningham is a barrister and so has some first hand experience in how the effects of language changes impacts policy and law.
I have seen laws and policies changed by that argument from male activists consulting on committees etc. Maybe some people choose not to trace the harm directly, but the harm is there on numerous fronts.
Repeating preferred pronouns has now given life to phrases like ‘used her penis to rape’ which is so wrong on many levels.
Here is Victoria Smith's view.
The hidden cost of pronoun politeness | Victoria Smith | The Critic Magazine
Here is Ivy / McKinnon on video making the statement:
or the Daily Show link which requires a VPN to watch outside of USA.
People using pronouns need to understand what is happening because of this usage and consider their contribution. I don’t believe they can ignore the collective harm that results. They can try to ignore it. But it has already happened and to deny the harms that have already resulted is dishonest.