How to use email signature to push back against "preferred pronouns"?

[Albless]

I'm a member of the clergy and I've noticed other clergy and admin staff increasingly have pronouns in brackets after their names in email signatures. The woman who manages my denomination's EDI team also has a clicky link explaining why the pronouns are there. The link takes you to a page of vagueness and mealy-mouthed nonsense.

I'd like to include an alternative in my own signature. So far I've just gone with a couple of lines saying that some in this denomination have pronouns in their signature, but I prefer Woman: adult human female. This seems a bit clunky though, and lacking in information for those for whom this is somehow new.

Any ideas on wording, and also an easy to understand webpage pushing back against pronouns which also gives people the chance to access more information.

Keep it professional. Your work email signature is not a place for advocacy. Just because other people are making fools of themselves does not mean you should do the same.

Personally I think the most effective thing is to eschew them all together.

At work email pronouns are encouraged but not mandatory.

Ive been very clear I will not use them because I think there is a danger in singling out one cohort when I work with a wide variety of vulnerable people ( including people who are GC) whom it can be argued I’m discriminating against by failing to to offer public allyship to them as well.

As a member of the clergy, would you put which party you vote for in your email signature? (spoiler: I hope not!)
I think you should leave pronouns off, it says enough without saying anything. Personally, I wouldn’t like to see either a GC statement or pronouns (or a political party) in my vicar’s email signature.

I think there was a man who was sacked, and lost his appeal for unfair dismissal, for putting something GC in his email signature.

Proceed carefully.

I think this is very important advice. For all of us, but especially those in positions of authority like the clergy. Email signatures are not a place for advocacy. You’re right to be turned off by the waffly nonsense that your EDI colleague links to, but I think you would be better off not descending to their level (stay firm on no pronouns in email signature) and one by one try to encourage your colleagues to see that it is alienating to do this.

You don't need to use your work email signature to make a political statement.

If you don't want to include pronouns then just don't.

This. I hate pronouns in email sigs, but it's also not the place to explain why you are not including them

Is your work email really the place for this? If you don’t want to add pronouns just don’t add any, sign your name and leave it at that

Surely pronouns are about gender and people can choose their gender, it's their sex they can't choose?

Absolutely a man can't be a woman, but if he wants to be called she (or trifle) that's up to him and makes no difference to me.

I say do not put anything about pronouns in your signature.
Just put your name (and title if relevant).

Don't engage with it all.
Also bear in mind that a GC statement could bite you in the bum later on.

In your place the most I would put it is to put (Mr) or (Ms) or whatever your title is if it makes it clear what sex you are. Rev Dr (which you might be?) clearly wouldn't help though.

Question to everyone else - if I put Sam Jones (Ms) then I hope it shows that although my name could be used by either sex, I am female but don't want to join in this she/her nonsense. Do you agree?

If on the other hand my name was Felicity Smith or Kevin Black, I don't think it would work so well as the name makes it obvious and in that case the title may be seen as exactly the same as the virtue signalling she/her.

I think best to do nothing - the absence of pronouns is its own statement.

If we lived in a free society and there were no consequences, I'd be very tempted to take the piss by writing "pronouns: I/me/mine" or "Star sign: Scorpio". But there are always consequences, unfortunately.

@RoyalCorgiI’ve been tempted to put ‘I am a woman’ and leave it at that, but haven’t as I know I would get my wrist slapped!

Someone who emails me for work has “My pronouns are private and I prefer to keep them personal” on hers. It’s a big company and I assume they’ve mandated the “My pronouns are” bit but don’t check what you write.
Its very unprofessional for what we do, but I love her for doing it!!!

Agree.

I agree with not having them.
The vast majority of people won’t notice the omission.
My email footer at work has my name and post nominate, then my company name & address.

I’ve been tempted to put a sarky pronouns: I, me, mine, but decided that I wouldn’t stoop to their level. Instead I have insisted on a standard signature template for my team - and make a mental note of the people who use them and file under ‘idiot’.

Just don't use them. It won't be professional to have a counter to it in your signature, just as it isn't bloody professional for them to describe their pronouns in theirs.

I really wouldn’t do this. Keep your work email professional and to the point.

I don’t like people who bring their activism into work (which I consider this to be) so I’m not going to do it myself.

“My chromosomes are XX”

Someone once pointed out that you only use pronouns when you’re talking about someone not to them so it’s pointless

I don’t add mine. I feel like I’m the only
one without them. I was at a meeting and we introduced ourselves, people were saying their name and title and then “ my pronouns are - blah blah “ when it got to me I just said my name and title and there was a silence …….. it felt like ages but I’m sure it wasn’t. But after that several other women didn’t use pronouns. I feel people are scared not to use them - it’s fear of being cancelled and it has to stop.

I have not included pronouns and I respect people who don’t more than those that have. Some people I know have put her/she/they/them. I don’t know what that is all about! I also notice who has added pronouns and take a mental note and will await when they are deleted, which no doubt, one day they will be! I have noticed more women than men have used them.

It's enough not to include your pronouns. Albless I feel very strongly about the harm done by gender identity ideology. But, we need to stop politicising every aspect of our lives. There will be people who disagree with you on this for various reasons, some of them may agree with you in the future and they're just not there yet. But in the meantime, they're people who you probably have a lot in common with, and depending on your position, maybe they'll need your help as a member of the clergy. If it comes up, it comes up and you can address it then.

You don't need to make it clear that you're female though, if your name is more unisex. They don't need to know.