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Thank you @maggie_wente for getting me thinking about pronouns.
It was early 2020 when I first noticed people using pronouns ("she/her" etc.) in their email signature lines. And it tended to be people whose names were ambiguous, or people who belonged to the LGBTQ+ community.
It was early 2020 when I first noticed people using pronouns ("she/her" etc.) in their email signature lines. And it tended to be people whose names were ambiguous, or people who belonged to the LGBTQ+ community.
I remember seeing some people mocked for using pronouns, particularly if they identified as "(they/them)".
In the past year, there has been a rapid cultural shift, where it has become more the norm to use pronouns. Still, I see pronouns used most commonly by generations younger than mine, or by people in the LGBTQ+ community.
The courts in British Columbia have recently instituted a policy whereby counsel must always identify themselves to the Court not just by name, but by preferred pronoun. This is so that the Court can address parties as they prefer to be addressed. This is an act of respect.
This policy will catch on, as it should, and spread not only to other courts but to other professions. It will become normal to use pronouns in a signature or on documents, just like many years ago it became normal for a woman to be referred to as Ms. instead of as Mrs. or Miss.
The use of pronouns is not about making it easier, in ambiguous situations, for people to know how to refer to the pronoun user. The burden should not be on a minority to single themselves out, and accurately identify themselves to the people they deal with.
Instead, the practice should be for everyone to identify their preferred pronouns so that nobody has to be asked. It's time to normalize the use of pronouns. If we ALL use pronouns, then nobody will need to feel that they stand out by using pronouns.
If people who think that their sex is "obvious" use their pronouns anyway, it makes it that much easier for others to assert their preferred pronouns without feeling that they are being somehow political or controversial.
If the use of pronouns becomes routine, then there is nothing to read into the fact that a given person uses pronouns.
Consequently, going forward I will be more conscious of using my preferred pronouns (he/him), including putting them on my business cards, letterhead and email signature. I hope others, particularly of my generation, will follow suit.
Like @maggie_wente, I can make room on my business card for pronouns by deleting any reference to my fax number. Two birds with one stone!
