Being asked to wear a badge

[grapejuice14]

Hi all

I attend a group twice a week that also runs an LGBT+ night. Due to concerns of misgendering, we have been asked to wear a badge with our pronouns on any night we attend as some of the LGBT+ group attend the other nights as well and have prompted a policy etc being brought in about pronouns.

Obviously I don't want to leave the group as it is one of the things that has brought me out of quite a bad period of mental health but I also don't want to have to out myself as GC and be kicked out.

Any advice would be really appreciated as to how I can approach this and still feel okay with attending the other nights. Thank you!

really liking the idea of tree as a pronoun....if I was the group organiser and enough members felt that the pronoun on a badge thing was important to them....I'd say then why not an option? The group pronoun use is "they" and if anybody else strongly wants something different then they can choose to wear a badge

#nothankyou

That's it. I'm a woman, that's it. But in the LGBT+ group my sexuality is because I haven't had good sex and that's a joke?? But god forbid I don't want to wear my pronouns on a badge. Only some are welcome it seems ☹️

@grapejuice14

Yes definitely will use the right to privacy that seems like a good way to go thank you. The funny thing is, I do actually identify within the community and it's those forcing the issue of pronouns who are making me feel unwelcome at the LGBT+ nights!

Yep. You just know the pronoun thing has nothing to do with benefiting the LGB part of the group…

Someone has been much braver than me within the group and is saying they will use names but is not going to wear a badge and it's all kicked off so at least I know I'm not alone!

This is very comforting as it means there are many more who think like us. If someone “asked” me to wear a pronoun badge, I’d say “I’d don’t wish to discuss pronouns” and if pushed further would say “Many people feel as I do, and demanding people wear a pronoun badge is unhelpful to those people. I will not be wearing one”.

I would say that you are working on your identity and aren't comfortable sharing at the moment.

The fact that you identify as gender critical is immaterial

"obv/i/ous"
"my pronouns are in line with my biological sex"

"Your Majesty/Ma'am" would be mine and I'd insist that I was referred to as such.

Wow, I didn't expect that! But clearly men's feelings must be protected at all costs.

I was told to wear a pronouns badge once. I gave the person a cold stare and said "As a Jew, and given our history, I will not be made to wear any sort of badge."

Our patient notes system has started storing preferred pronouns.

If a patient doesn't want to give pronouns, it defaults to "Just my name please" - could you put that on a badge?

@CharlieParley. That's fantastic and exactly what I'd want to say. Thank you.

Is this necessary? Surely you all would speak directly to one another so you would just use “you” or “them” as default if you’re speaking about someone else?

This demand that people declare pronouns is getting into a very weird dystopian demand that you conform or else territory.

Surely people can communicate like adults without this needless virtue signaling.

National Trust members put ban on ‘woke’ badges to vote

digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/713/reader/reader.html?social#!preferred/0/package/713/pub/713/page/49/article/214632

I don't know if you can read this article but the title says it all

It demands that the trust never require volunteers “to wear badges, symbols or other items that reflect a political or social viewpoint, nor expect them to adopt any such viewpoints in their interactions with visitors”.

I did see a joke about pronouns that made me chuckle: 'I identity as Michael Jackson. My pronouns are hee/he'
(don't know if this will make it through the moderators!)
Good luck OP, lots of good advice on this thread that I am planning to refer to if I am in a similar situation.
I like 'no, it is triggering for me'.

Say you would find it triggering due to personal trauma.

Yes, just say 'no thank you'

Can you write G.C. on your badge?

Even some pro-TWAW people are starting to agree that putting people on the spot about their pronouns is problematic.

I've heard the word 'horse' used to very informally interact with someone. As in 'how's it going, horse'. Like 'hey, pal'. I'd love to put that on a sticker. 'Hiya horse'.

This is all getting a bit religion like. Even oppressive, as you have to out yourself actively dissenting if you don't engage with the new beliefs. Don't people who don't really know each other usually put their names on stickers. Ruin a cashmere or silk, but you could put it on the arse pocket of your jeans.

More of a cult than a religion

Forced pronoun badges are such a bad idea. They force you to come out when you may not want to.

Kittii, That is what I think too, but you can't say it. The honest truth gets deleted.

It is forced conversion/ adherence to it's tenets really; if you have to conform or be forced to out yourself.