Colleague has suggested I remove all pronouns from a report

[girlinabox]

I don't work for the NHS but this colleague does. I wrote a report about several clients we have been working with over many months. We have also been working with their carers/family. Colleague suggested that we haven't asked them how they identify so can't refer to them as he or she. So in the report we should just continually use their names. In our interaction with these clients there has never been any ambiguity, and carers/family have referred to them as he/she. I think this is utterly ridicolous. Other option is to make contact to ask their gender. Many have significant learning disabilities so this would not be straight forward.
Despite being gender critical I would have no problem with using preferred pronouns in the report if it was obvious to this was the client's preference but this is just daft. I respect this person but feel that this is such a waste of valuable time and energy. This stuff seems to encroach on my work more and more.

Oh fgs. This drives me mad, personally. I would say no.

I would say no.

I’d say no
If no one has brought up a pronoun preference before then it’s irrelevant

Dont let this madness seep
into everything in society

Plus why should you redo a report just because of what this colleague thinks

Just ignore,

Say no. Follow the standard which has been followed up to now. If no preferred pronouns have been given follow the ones which align to their sex.

I've so far ignored the feedback, which was sent by email. I think I will refuse if asked again, based on the fact that we have a fair idea of their gender from working with them!

I agree. Say no. Would they say this to a heterosexual man?

Refuse. The more pushback these idiots get the sooner this madness ends.

The way I approach this is - If it's important to them they will raise it themselves. Otherwise continue as normal. By asking the question, unsolicited, your buying into the ideology that you've said you don't support.

Surely it’s almost guaranteed that anyone with a pronoun preference other than indicated by their sex would have informed you?

In what way is this kind of performative nonsense helping your vulnerable clients?

Perhaps if the NHS focussed rather more on the basics of delivering services people would be rather better served.

No no no

I couldn't agree more. I'm actually so disappointed that someone as intelligent and caring as this colleague is willing to waste time on this.

What is important in the report / their care: their biological sex or their gender?

Your colleague cannot make the assumption that your clients want to be pronoun erased.

It’s worth giving that feedback. I know it’s hard to do.

Agree with 5andals. Theres no need to ruin your report and do a lot of extra work for an issue that the person the report is about has not raised. When working with people with LD, clarity and timeliness have to take priority (tbh for everyone!)

It sounds like it’s in the best interests of your clients to respect their obvious sex. If there are cognitive disabilities then it’s also a safeguarding issue and there might be situations when the sex of the client is relevant.

Therefore you need to use sex realist pronouns.

Is it possible to say that pushing people for their pronouns actually places a burden on them to define themselves when they are not ready to do so.
It would be fair to say that unless someone is confident enough to make that statement freely, perhaps you should continue to refer to them in the standard way and not place them under undue pressure to announce a gender.

Strongly agree.

Agree with others, please don't. I'd be quite upset if someone did this with one of my daughter's reports. It's impersonal to an unprofessional level

Thanks, I feel fortified to have this battle if need be, though hopefully it won't be a battle! Combined with last week's conference chaired by bloke in dress who wanted to be referred as 'she' I'm feeling quite worn down at the mo.

I think for your own professional reputation you should refuse.

The tide is turning on this issue and the ethics of, unprompted and without good reason, asking LD clients about their GI is going to look very dodgy in the (hopefully) near future.

Keep well out of it and stick to your guns.

Just say no. It could infer you suspect that someone involved is transgender when they have made no indication that they are or want you to know. Just say you respect their privacy and feel this could be construed the wrong way.

Say no. Say you are in fact using the correct pronouns so there isn’t an issue.

Absolutely no reason to introduce the idea of 'gender' when none of your clients have asked you to. From what you've said, it's completely irrelevant in this case. You wouldn't ask them to state their religion, or their astrological star sign, or their favourite football team.

Also, depending on the issues, their sex may be relevant. So introducing the concept of gender identity is not only pointless and irrelevant, but could cause a lot of unnecessary confusion, and possibly bewilderment and distress.

Have you had personal interaction with this client? You could push back stating that they have always referred to themselves as X and you would rather respect their wishes