Fully outed myself as GC at woke workplace

[McDuffy]

It might be stupid in this job climate but I'm reasonably senior and I've just commented on someone's intranet post on why they've put pronouns in their bio and why it's a nice thing to do with a (softened, for me) counter argument (three, actually).
I'm feeling a bit trembly but courage calls to courage. I don't add much original thought here but I learn so much (though I'm good for a Times share token ) so thanks for making me feel I'm not alone.

Good luck!

I explained why I wasn't "cis" at work.

Scratch the surface and I bet you'll find lots of unwokies.

👍

Well done & remember there are a lot of us about!

Now that is truly brave and stunning, OP.

Well done

I tell people why I won't be putting my pronouns on email, with an unisex name I benefit from some of that male privilege in email until people meet me. And very nice that male privilege is too

In the brief period before they discover I'm female

good for you. Hope it goes ok x

I certainly did when I got a bit squiffy at my work Christmas party! Some of them were thrilled that someone had spoke up.
My best mate at work is massively GC but maintains a neutral position and is achieving change by influencing others from that starting point. I'm not at all political so can't easily approach situations that way.
What I don't want is for pronouns in email to gain traction because no one spoke up so everyone thought it was great/kind or they felt it was an annoyance but didn't realise that others felt the same way.

@highame

Scratch the surface and I bet you'll find lots of unwokies.

👍

This was the Christmas party comment, sorry

Well done. Fingers crossed it makes a few people think.

@mcduffy good luck! I am also trapped in a woke workplace. I hope you find support. It seems that so many people think the way we do...but are afraid to speak up. You've done a good thing.

Thanks all. It shouldn't be controversial, should it?! How the fuck did we get here? Fingers crossed for a decent announcement from Liz Truss soon.

Without getting into the wider debate, I don't understand why anyone would need to specify their chosen pronoun in an email signature. It is rude to refer to anyone present (in person or virtually) by a pronoun rather than by their name, unless anyone is referring to themselves in the third person at work, which would just be plain weird...

May I ask what arguments you used? I'm terrified of this becoming a thing at my workplace and would really appreciate an idea on how to formulate a response in a professional way.

So far I have a half formed thought about it being unprofessional to make people label themselves as being any particular tribe e.g. religion, football team, race etc when those things have nothing to do with the work.

Well done

Well done you. This ideology relies on bullying women (and men) into silence. Someone posted this the other day - Emmeline Pankhurst said it in 1912 and I reckon it describes the majority of women now:

I know that women, once convinced that they are doing what is right, that their rebellion is just, will go on, no matter what the difficulties, no matter what the dangers, so long as there is a woman alive to hold up the flag of rebellion

Who needs to know pronouns at work? In an E-Mail no less...this is nothing but expanding the influence of gender identity.

Well done. The more people who say something, the less this can be imposed and the wider the acceptable range of views becomes.

OP, I forgot to add that I wholeheartedly commend you and thank you for taking a stand. I hope I will be as brave when the time comes at my work.

I vaguely recall there have been studies showing when attention is drawn to the fact a women is well, a women, she performs less well.
I need to dig it out. Almost all companies have a "gender" pay gap and a problem promoting women, so highlighting that putting female pronouns in women's signatures will disadvantage them could be a way to go.

Can't find any links at the moment but this sort of thing:
www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/gender-inequality-man-woman-switch-names-week-martin-schneider-nicky-knacks-pay-gap-a7622201.html

Well done, OP.

@NotAGirl

Well done

I tell people why I won't be putting my pronouns on email, with an unisex name I benefit from some of that male privilege in email until people meet me. And very nice that male privilege is too

In the brief period before they discover I'm female

Thank you for this! I’ve suddenly remembered that my parents told me they gave me a (mildly) unisex name in the mid 70s because they felt people shouldn’t be able to presume my sex from my name. I just can’t bring myself to walk about with a she/her label on and hadn’t previously linked it back to this.

So far I have a half formed thought about it being unprofessional to make people label themselves as being any particular tribe e.g. religion, football team, race etc when those things have nothing to do with the work

I see no problem with using what you put here. Made a little more palatable of course but yeah.

Well done op. It’s fucking nuts that we are scared of speaking our truths. I’m expecting a fall out next September with a friend at work. She teaches RE...

Thank you for standing up to this wokeness! It takes guts to do this but I am sure there are plenty at your workplace who will agree And be glad you spoke out.

Does your workplace not have a discrimination policy? I know if I put something like that in writing at work I'd be out the door.