Using totems in the workplace

The Law Society? Really?

Under HR and people management:

Using pronouns in the workplace

I think you’re supposed to learn that in the very early grades, or even earlier, as you learn to speak the local language. I don’t think it’s something adults need a refresher on.

Judging by name or appearance is not always an accurate method for determining a person’s pronouns.

Yes it is. Being able to tell who is which is another very early skill.

We frequently, and likely subconsciously, interpret or ‘read’ a person’s gender based on their outward appearance and expression, and ‘assign’ a pronoun.

However, our inference as to that person’s gender identity may not be correct.

Getting it wrong is extremely rare. This isn’t something adults don’t know how to do, or need instruction in.

Everyone deserves to have their chosen name and pronouns respected in the workplace.

No, everyone doesn’t. The workplace is the workplace. It’s a place for getting stuff done. It’s not a place for massaging the egos of special flowers who have special pronouns. The childish hobby of “choosing” a new name and a luxury pronoun is not something anyone “deserves to have respected.” On the contrary, such foolery deserves contempt.

Although you may feel it personally unnecessary to do so, and it may even make you feel a little uncomfortable at first, sharing your pronouns helps raise awareness and acceptance of different, including non-binary, gender identities.

But those identities are a fiction. HR departments should not be telling employees that they have to adopt a stupid new language that’s tedious to learn and worthless when you do learn it. The People of Gender need to grow up.

14 Responses to “Using totems in the workplace”