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1. Pou Tiaki

INCLUDING PRONOUNS IN EMAIL SIGNATURES HELPS REMOVE ANXIETY FOR LGBTQIA+
COMMUNITY IN WORKPLACE

Mandy Te05:00, Feb 15 2021
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MONIQUE FORD/Stuff
Brodie Packer says they don't feel like they have to conceal parts of themselves
in the workplace after an initiative that includes pronouns in email signatures.

Brodie Packer (they/them) says when they went to work, they would leave a part
of their identity at home.

But that's no longer the case after helping create an initiative at their work
with Inland Revenue's Rainbow Network, which encourages people to share their
pronouns in email signatures and educates them on why it's important to use the
right pronouns. This has led to staff working across New Zealand's government
agencies to take part.

Pronouns are words that refer to people, such as “she”, “he” or “they”. But they
are also part of a wider topic of inclusion, diversity and visibility of
LGBTQIA+ people (representing sexuality and gender diverse identities) during a
time of social change worldwide.

Packer, who works as a change and inclusion communications specialist, said
including pronouns in email signatures helped remove a level of anxiety members
of the LGBTQIA+ community might have in the workplace.

READ MORE:
* International Pronouns Day: Small changes make a big difference to inclusion
in sport
* Gender-diverse language something to celebrate
* Please stop making jokes about gender pronouns when people tell you theirs

“With my experience, I didn't share my pronouns until I helped create that
resource and championed it,” Packer said.

Sharon Thompson (she/her) , a deputy commissioner at Inland Revenue, said
including pronouns in email signatures was not mandatory, and people using
pronouns had occurred organically.

Packer said they initially felt as though they could not express their pronouns
and be respected, so they were pleasantly surprised at the response.

Unsplash
Staff at New Zealand’s government agencies have been including pronouns in their
email signatures. (File photo)

Since the inclusion of pronouns, Packer said they were enjoying work but also
felt respected for who they were.

“I don't have to conceal any parts of myself. It's really important to use the
correct pronouns, it's a basic form of dignity, and it’s made me much more
invested in my workplace.”

It also helped create conversation outside the LGBTQIA+ community as cisgender
(those who identify with the sex/gender they were assigned at birth) staff were
also using pronouns in their email signatures and learning more about it, they
said.

MONIQUE FORD/Stuff
Brodie Packer is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.

“The intention of this initiative takes some burden away from trans and gender
diverse people from continually having to educate people on pronouns.”

“I hope ... it sets an example and allows young queer kids to not feel like they
have barriers. It allows them to imagine the different kinds of roles out
there.”

The deputy commissioner of leadership, diversity and inclusion at Te Kawa
Mataaho Public Service Commission, Heather Baggott (she/her), said the public
service needed to reflect and understand the communities it served.

“We also know that some barriers to inclusion still exist within the public
service around gender, ethnicity and culture, disability, and orientation and
identity.

“It’s important we get pronouns and names right because they help to create a
sense of belonging and respect in the workplace.”

Everyone liked their name or title to be used and spelt correctly – it was the
same with pronouns, she said.

Unsplash
Pronouns and names are important to get right because they create belonging and
respect in the workplace, says Heather Baggott, Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service
Commission’s deputy commissioner of leadership, diversity and inclusion. (File
photo)

’UNPRECEDENTED’ DISCUSSION OF PRONOUNS

Massey University senior linguistics lecturer Dr Julia de Bres (she/her) said
public discussion on pronouns was unprecedented and showed significant social
change.

It reflected growing LGBTQIA+ visibility and representation, and helped to
“correct the erasure these groups have experienced for a long time”.

When cisgender people shared their pronouns, it showed respect and allyship, the
sociolinguist said.

Including pronouns was quite useful for a lot of different groups and normalised
discussions on gender identity.

It also helped migrants whose names were not common in certain countries or
those with names that were gender-neutral, she said. “These developments for
minority rights are good for everyone.”

“We all have the power to do good linguistically, so why wouldn’t we?”

Queens for a Cause
Queens for a Cause is raising money to fund this year's Wellington International
Pride Parade, with shows every Sunday until the parade, at Wellington's
Whistling Sisters (video published January 2021).

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MONIQUE FORD /STUFF
Queens for a Cause is raising money to fund this year's Wellington International
Pride Parade, with shows every Sunday until the parade, at Wellington's
Whistling Sisters (video published January 2021).

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www.stuff.co.nz Open in urlscan Pro
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