Pronouns in my Email

Q: We have a new policy at work that encourages people to include their pronouns in the email signature line. I don’t understand why we’re supposed to do this. I’m not transgender, and my name is traditionally feminine, so people aren’t likely to get confused about who I am. Should I still include them?

A: This is a great question, and one that comes up more often than you might think. 

First, I want to give your company some kudos. It’s encouraging to see more organizations normalizing the sharing of pronouns. We see this most often in the human services field and on college campuses, but it’s spreading into many sectors of work and life, which is wonderful to see. The more people who readily share pronouns, the more comfortable our society will get with asking and using the correct pronouns for everyone.

Up until recently, the majority of people who shared their pronouns (or were asked by others to share them) were transgender and gender non-conforming people. While these questions were often asked with good intentions, singling out transgender individuals can feel othering and, in some cases, can be dangerous. Transgender people--especially Black trans women--are disproportionately victims of violent crime in the US.

So, what does all this have to do with putting your pronouns in your email signature? As a cisgender person (someone whose gender matches their assigned sex at birth), publicly stating your pronouns helps reduce the stigma of sharing that information. It also helps signal to transgender people that you’re someone who will respect their pronouns and be conscious about trying to get them right. This can go a long way to helping a client or co-worker feel more at ease with you.

Sharing pronouns is also helpful for people who have names that aren’t traditionally gendered. As someone who goes by “Sam,” people often assume I’m a man. By including “pronouns: she/her/hers”under my name in my email signature, I’ve effectively cut down the number of times I’m wrongfully addressed as “Mr. Adams.”

Ultimately, what you decide to do with your email signature is up to you, but if you want to signal your support for the transgender community, adding your pronouns is a great way to do that. It’s a small gesture, but it’s one that can offer more comfort than you might guess. Happy emailing!