An online debate has broken out over whether people should have to put their pronouns in their email signature at work, with some saying it forces people into categories, and others branding it as ‘woke‘.
The discussion was sparked by a post on the British parenting forum Mumsnet by a user who said she doesn’t agree with the policy, and asked others to articulate reasons for this opinion.
She wrote: ‘Can someone remind me why some people (likely myself included) does not agree with stated pronouns in email signatures?’
The post prompted a range of responses from fellow Mumsnetters, with some saying that being forced to put pronouns in their signatures made them feel forced to adopt a particular gender identity.
Others said that they feel women suffer discrimination in the workplace as it is, and they don’t want to risk reinforcing gender bias.
However, some insisted that it’s a simple thing everyone can do to help transgender people feel included.
Set aside the hysterical trans ideology for a moment. Why would anyone put pronouns in their email signature? What practical purpose is there? Pronouns are for third party use. You don’t address someone by their pronouns. You address them by their name. If you don’t know them, you might use ‘sir’ or ‘madam.’ Of course, that could cause the heinous offence of misgendering which is the equivalent of genocide, but coming back to the initial point, what practical purpose is there to it? It is not our obligation to pander to the delusions of a tiny minority of people. Sure, I’d generally take Jordan Peterson’s point about being polite, but like him I disagree with compelled speech, which is where this is all leading.
I no longer work as an employee in a large organisation. The last one I did work for where I might have been put under such pressure was Network Rail and that was nearly twenty years ago now. My brief stint at Sainsbury’s involved night shifts stacking shelves, so I didn’t use email, although there might have been the name badge issue.
I did, not so long ago, receive an email from a potential client with pronouns in the email signature and exhorting recipients to do the same, but I ignored it and as I’m self-employed, no one can force me anyway.
But again, if you are talking about someone who isn’t there and you use the ‘wrong’ (i.e. correct) pronoun, they aren’t listening to get offended anyway. Unless someone snitches on you and then you find yourself asking, if this is going to cause this person so much offence that they are literally having their throat cut, why would anyone tell them?
It’s all manufactured. Like the covid rules, there are so many obvious flaws and contradictions that for reasonable, rational people, it makes no sense unless you factor in submission. Well, I do not submit.
@LR
Spot on. Let’s start addressing such idiots by the pronouns on badge
Hello she-her, I’d like to close my account
Alternatively, play yhere game back to them:
– Your badge is deeply offensive and hateful to me and many others
What do you make of this:
Did Jonty not deserve his/her/their/its pronouns being acknowledged? That’s not very inclusive.
Seems like the decline of western civilization is at hand.
Apart from the fact that some workers are being compelled to do this it seems pretty harmless and silly. To me it all seems really infantile like something from a primary school playground. One response to being expected to do this would be ‘can I speak to your parents or whichever adult is in charge please’.
Unless there is serious pushback, the relentless pressure will continue.
The rationale seems to be that if only trans people do it, they will make themselves stand out. Well I have some bad news on that front, they already do. Even if they pass reasonably well, body shape, arm length, hand size and brow ridges are a give away. When they speak, the game is certainly up.
Sure. Given my Irish heritage my pronouns are Tadgh / Oisín / Caoimhe
Make sure you pronounce them correctly or I’ll have to report you’re contempt of my pronouns to HR.
tsk *your*
These people
i) clearly have too much time on their hands
ii) have never experienced/seen genuine hardship.
If the biggest problem they can find to get worked up about is whether to put a pronoun on a badge, they have led very sheltered lives. Time for them to visit somewhere where there is genuine poverty. And I mean actual, grinding poverty. Like in the Eastern ex-Soviet states, Africa or India, or poorer East Asian countries.
Anecdote time.
While on one of our trips to my wife’s home country, which is very poor, we were in the pharmacy. An older woman was at the counter ahead of us, trying to buy her prescription, but she was slightly short of funds. Definitely hard up, her clothes were old and ragged and she had the air of genuine hardship. As it started to run on, I just paid for her prescription. She was very grateful, and ended up chatting to my wife while I dealt with the pharmacist. Turns out her state pension was barely enough to live off. She didn’t beg or ask for anything, just was grateful for our help. When my wife told me about her plight, I gave her the equivalent of £10. Not much to me, but the expression on her face was incredible. The poor woman was moved to tears and what she said stuck with me.
“Thank you, I’m going to treat myself to some fruit as I haven’t been able to afford it in six months.”
Saw her a few minutes later as we went around the market, biting into an apple with such a happy expression on her face.
That’s genuine hardship. Now find someone like this and ask them if they give even a single fuck about if they get called ‘sir’ or ‘maam’ and it’s the wrong gender.
Most people with half a brain (colloquially known as adults) know that the wolf is never that far from the door. There are far more important things in life to worry about than being mis-gendered.
Chernny
Obviously I know you from Tim’s blog but this is on the money. I am
Hoping one thing to come out of this economic cost of living issue is that people who are exercised about illusory pronouns are put back in their boxes – ideally forcefully…
“Set aside the hysterical trans ideology for a moment.”
…for as long as you like and as far away as you like. And then longer and further still.
Perhaps we should establish ‘No gender day’ when we avoid pronouns altogether (names are on name tags after all) or just use they/them. Then ‘No gender week’, ‘No gender month’ and ‘No gender year’
Great idea. Let’s celebrate “No pronouns month” or maybe even pronoun free years or decades, when you can greet others with ‘chum’ or ‘mate’ or ‘sunshine’ without meltdowns.
No pronouns aeon. Or maybe aeon and a half.
I’ve put on farcebox the email I had yesterday from energy company Utilita inviting me to add fantasy pronouns to my account details. So that’s Utilita on the hit list along with Halifax and any other woke ambassador who crosses my white male Christian hetero path.
My pronouns are they/them.
Oh, sorry, I got that wrong: Our pronouns are they/them.
Got it wrong again: We got that wrong: Our pronouns are they/them
I think that’s right.
Oh sod it, start again: My pronouns are I/me/my/mine/myself
Especially ME ME ME ME ME
😉