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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Please update your email signature to include your pronouns

194 replies

Rosecottage888 · 22/10/2022 00:34

The email states (at the bottom) that this is optional.

I knew it was coming, saw other threads from people who's organisations asked the same. I won't do it, just wanted a moan here.

OP posts:
MassiveSalad22 · 22/10/2022 07:49

Ottersmith · 22/10/2022 02:34

"As many people might be early on in their gender journey, it's problematic for you to ask them to 'out' themselves before they are ready and they might feel singled out and victimised." Outwoke them until they aren't ure what to even think. Also my name is unisex and my excuse has always been that people respect me more in emails when the assume I'm male so until women are treated equally at work I won't be disclosung what sex I am. No one has ever asked though.

Mic drop! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

MavisChunch29 · 22/10/2022 07:52

I left him unenlightened. It seemed a good plan

This.

I've always been pretty sure of myself as being a heterosexual woman, but in one phase when I was younger I had a pixie hair cut and slender athletic figure, and wore fairly androgynous clothing. I never gave a monkeys if I were misgendered as I know who I am. Why should I be required to wear a badge to tell everyone who/what I am? Fine that some people do not want to be misgendered and want to state pronouns, but surely also fine if people don't want to.

TheCraicDealer · 22/10/2022 08:06

I’m a member of our D&I team and this was raised about a year ago. My manager/the D&I team lead asked me what I thought and I said “don’t like it, this is a an increasingly political issue and I come from a part of the country where we try hard not to bring politics into work- enforced pronouns goes completely against that”. Manager basically said she agreed entirely and it was introduced on a voluntary basis. I noticed one member of staff who changed hers to “she/her”, everyone else just sort of…ignored it? I had a few people raise it with me and as soon as I indicated I was not on board with pronouns they were suddenly very open and honest with the fact they thought it was an absolute nonsense.

Basically just don’t change them. You might be surprised to see how low the take up is.

Calmdown14 · 22/10/2022 08:08

@SimpleName83 that's how I feel. My name is pretty uni sex and I don't mind people not knowing.

I am often addressed as a man and I'm okay with that.

I've been ignoring the email signature option for years. If it's forced I will object

MarshaBradyo · 22/10/2022 08:09

There’s no way I’d do this

AriettyHomily · 22/10/2022 08:13

Rosecottage888 · 22/10/2022 00:45

How long is it optional for though before they single out those who don't have pronouns on their signature? This worries me.

That doesn't worry me, I will not do it. If they want to sack me for it then let's see what happens.

Igneococcus · 22/10/2022 08:18

If anybody from HR should ever ask me to do that I'll tell them I consider it once they get the spelling and pronunciation of my name, both first and last, right more often than they get it wrong.

Dragonskin · 22/10/2022 08:25

How would you tell their pronoun. complies with their sex just from their email address or first name? My name can be used by either sex. How can you tell?

Mainly because colleagues are not faceless names on an email list, but real people you meet in real life. Plus we have photos on our email address list if you haven't met them

MarshaBradyo · 22/10/2022 08:26

My name indicates my sex I don’t need to add to that

Bestcatmum · 22/10/2022 08:30

I've refused to do this for years. I haven't been sacked yet. I dont think they dare as I'm active in the union. I'm NHS.
I think they just ignore me now.

Igneococcus · 22/10/2022 08:31

Just came across this in the Times "Pronoun choice is harmful, says tech billionaire Ben Chestnut"

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/62d14612-5174-11ed-af60-3f894fe60060?shareToken=3cb94c9b0f8e5eaca4bc94a3229fc81b

DontAskIDontKnow · 22/10/2022 08:35

I wonder what happens with gender fluid people. If they send an email with one set of pronouns on one day and then receive a reply to that email when they are using a different set of pronouns, does seeing the pronouns in their original message trigger them?

Ereshkigalangcleg · 22/10/2022 08:35

Apart from the teeth-grindingly twee language (shuddering at "peeps"), I think I like you, Ben Chestnut:

Chestnut went on: “First, there is a very tiny number of peeps at Mailchimp who would consider themselves transgender. Forcing (either with orders, or through guilt) approximately 1,390 other peeps to adopt a new communication paradigm that humanity has never had to use in our 300k year existence, and in our 150k years of spoken language, in order to make things slightly more comfortable for an extremely small group of peeps is completely illogical.”

He lamented the growing politicisation of the workplace, an issue that has confronted other tech chiefs. “I am finding that peeps are no longer motivated by meaningful work — they are motivated to make political statements. They are using company time and company resources to win a game, against their opponents, in a game that is raging in their minds and on social media."

Coercing peeps into proclaiming their pronouns is not about creating an inclusive, creative, productive work environment. It’s becoming a political statement."

StiggyZardust · 22/10/2022 08:35

We've been told it's optional, I've opted out. I do worry that it might be enforced one day. I work in the NHS so who knows?

Novum · 22/10/2022 08:37

Ask your employers whether they have fully thought this through and taken advice from the Information Commissioner,, citing the information in @miri1985's post.

Maireas · 22/10/2022 08:37

I have a colleague whose email pronouns are she/they/them -
I've no idea how to address them. Or her.

Igneococcus · 22/10/2022 08:39

I agree @Ereshkigalangcleg peeps is really annoying but otherwise I like what he has to says.

silverclock222 · 22/10/2022 08:45

My employer is heading this way and much as I will want to tell them its a lot of rubbish, I do5n need the stress of rocking the boat at the moment. So can someone tell me if I legally have to do this or some pretty obvious terms I can pit which clearly but professionally show my views. I did like the crone/hag one though!

PersonaNonGarter · 22/10/2022 08:45

We had this at my workplace. Maybe maximum of 10% of people did it.

None of the senior staff did it. Too well informed, I like to think.

notanothertakeaway · 22/10/2022 08:50

"I don't feel emotionally safe to declare my pronouns" should cover all bases

Terftrain · 22/10/2022 08:51

I love it. It clearly demonstrates those who can think for themselves and those who cannot.

Most people who have adopted this in their emails/zoom or selected the new ish drop down feature on LinkedIn or Insta are doing it because they see others doing it or they mistakenly think they’re being “inclusive” and doing the right thing. If they’d properly looked into it and researched for themselves, they’d have to pretty stupid to still go along with it.

Maireas · 22/10/2022 08:55

notanothertakeaway · 22/10/2022 08:50

"I don't feel emotionally safe to declare my pronouns" should cover all bases

That's brilliant. I'm going to use that.

Boomboom22 · 22/10/2022 08:56

Slowly slowly the tide is turning. Don't comply, every one who doesn't sends a signal that this whole contagion is starting to fizzle out. There will always be a small number of genuine trans people but the mass contagion and medicalisation of children is, I believe, on the way down.

TeaAndCock · 22/10/2022 08:56

We were asked a year ago or so to update the hr system with this stuff (optionally) and if you add your pronouns others can then see it on your profile. I've ignored it, it's irrelevant. From what I can see most people have ignored in my company.

Boomboom22 · 22/10/2022 08:57

By that I do mean eg Debbie Hayton, those with severe dysphoria who make the informed choice to become post op, as adults, and who recognise women's rights.