Pronouns in email

[Sammiesnake]

I’ve just been asked to identify my pronouns on my email signature at work and I’m finding it hard to put into words why this upsets me.

For the record, I’m not bothered at all what others choose to call themselves and accept any pronouns asked of me just as I do anyone’s name. It’s up to them.

However, I don’t want to be pointing out that I’m a female in my email signature. Why do I have to announce my gender in a work email? Why is it even relevant at all to my work? I want to be responded to as a competent adult at work, not as a female particularly.

I can’t explain how it makes me feel but basically I find it upsetting that I should have to have my gender visible on every single email I send which really has nothing to do with my gender at all!

Does anyone else feel like this? Have you managed to explain this to your workplace?
Thanks

I think anyone who is in a position to be a bit arsey (which I totally understand isn't everyone) should ask for the impact assessment they have done on how this will affect women's standing in the workplace, bearing in mind the stereotype threat.

Sconded, ArcheryAnnie! It's absolutely typical of this stuff that's supposed to be all progressive and egalitarian that nobody bothers to actually ask people how they feel about it, and it almost turns out that it have an adverse effect on women.

You must all know about that article that did the rounds about the bloke who got his female colleague's email address by mistake and had to answer all her emails, and found that when people thought he was female they argued the toss with him the whole time? He said he finally understood why she wasn't productive as him - in fact he was amazed at how much she managed to get done, given what she faced.

If I was asked, I think I'd just put them in.
Might think briefly, but would just do it as no skin off my nose for want of a better expression, normalises it for people who are trans.
However, after saying that, if you don't want to that should be entirely up to you, you shouldn't be made to put them in in.
Were you asked, or told?
There's a difference.
You shouldn't be made to or penalised for doing so if you don't want to.
Can you not just pretend you haven't seen the emails?!

If asked, I would be so tempted to reply to the pronouns question as follows:

"Grammer isn't my strong point, and I am much more of a numbers person so I would like to be referred to as 01010011 01101000 01100101 00100000 / 01101000 01100101 01110010 00100000"

I'd then insist that they used this everytime they referenced me.

@ItsAllGoingToBeFine

Just say that putting your gender in your email signature makes you feel uncomfortable.

If it is pressed point out that some people might not be out in the workplace and this forces them to either misgender themselves or out themselves.

This is a good shout in workplaces that are forcing the issue. Of course you should be able to say no and not be pressured but sadly we know that isn't possible everywhere without being challenged on it endlessly.

(Fuck/off) those are my pronouns.

All this is pure bollocks. Seriously the day my work suggests or enforces this, I will tell them where to go. I'm seeing more people do this, clearly got nothing better to do. Sorry if I've offended anyone, but seriously...

@WackyDuck

If asked, I would be so tempted to reply to the pronouns question as follows:

"Grammer isn't my strong point, and I am much more of a numbers person so I would like to be referred to as 01010011 01101000 01100101 00100000 / 01101000 01100101 01110010 00100000"

I'd then insist that they used this everytime they referenced me.

@WackyDuck

But what if you're non-binary?

[quote Outwithreason]@WackyDuck

But what if you're non-binary?[/quote]
👏👏👏👏👏👏

And why always write both she and her? Why not just she?

I think that's so that the format works for made-up neopronouns. Zie/zir or whatever pairing they want. It just looks even more bloody silly for she/her.

@SleepingBeaver

Is 'Da Bitch' a suitable sign off ?

Well they aren't allowed to object, are they?

I saw this shit on an email this week (public sector). Its absurd and I won't be doing it.

Do you use your full name in company in emails or your initials?

If initials, I'd say you feel that interactions with staff/customers are better received when the assumption is that you are a man and as you have experienced negativity around your gender in the workplace previously you don't feel comfortable including your pronouns after your name as you feel your gender should be irrelevant.

It's really unfair to expect this as standard, I think.

[quote Outwithreason]@WackyDuck

But what if you're non-binary?[/quote]
Ha! Good one!!

(Fuck/off) those are my pronouns

All this is pure bollocks.

Which is up to you.

I'm seeing more people do this, clearly got nothing better to do

Why have they "got nothing better to do?" not everyone thinks the same way, and if they want to state their pronouns, if it makes life easier for them, why can't they?

Its absurd and I won't be doing it.

So don't then?
Were you told you had to?

@Eowynthewarrior

I had to travel for business to parts of the world that were particularly dangerous, and especially dangerous as a single woman’s I used to do everything I could possibly do to avoid advertising that fact: used initials only when they assumed I was male and no title. I made sure that my hotel bookings and airport transport cars that were prebooked never used a female title or pronoun. I consider it basic personal safety never to advertise I am female. I even dislike work e mails that make you out a photo of yourself on it

Yes, in those parts of the world where sex based subjugation and oppression is a real and daily thing, I wonder how many men are choosing to identify as women?

We are so lucky to have the word “it”. I am running with that.

It/its

"My pronouns are: not relevant to the content of this email"

“There are so many to choose from I am having trouble deciding.”

I prefer the standard mumsnet answer 'my pronouns are sex-based, like my oppression'.

I wonder what Philip / Pips Bunce would put?

My answer would be:

Well off the top of my head, I ,me ,
he, him, her, she, it, we, us, you, they, them - have I missed any? These are the ones I use on a daily basis.

@DoorbellsSleighbellsSchnitzel that’s absolutely the bottom line.

We’ve just had ‘encouragement’ to do the email pronoun........thing at my university in the last couple of weeks. Am ignoring.

Have found it mildly intriguing scrolling down at the end of every e-mail to note who HAS jumped on the bandwagon though.....

Was awaiting some kind of International Women’s Day bullshit that excluded women but I think the fact we’re not on campus has precluded these efforts a bit for now.

I gave my dd’s names that could be shortened to masculine names, precisely so that they could use them legitimately on CVS and professional correspondence so they didn’t have to reveal to anyone who didn’t know them that they were female.

Would i hell as like be inserting pronouns in my signature.

Perhaps N/A if forced.

I an a teacher and have been Zooming lessons for the last few months, obviously, and is do depressing that do many 6th form girls (note:not boys) on their Zoom names are also putting their chosen pronouns -which are ALL she/her.