How To Sign Off Emails Using Pronouns
Often times when replying to emails, we assume peoples pronouns based on their names, profile photos or maybe even titles such as Dr (Doctor) or Rev (Reverend).
In emails, people don't usually refer to themselves using their own pronouns. Emails are usually direct therefore there is no need to use them as you’re writing in the first person. This makes it is near impossible to know how this person identifies unless their pronouns are also stated in said email.
Adding the pronouns you use in emails is good for helping to avoid misgendering people/getting misgendered based on assumptions due to things like their name or picture, e.g. if you sign off your email as Phil people are most likely going to assure your pronouns are he/him (despite your full name possibly being Philippa).
Pronouns could also help in emails when your name is more gender-neutral such as Alex or Sam. Hopefully, in any case of not knowing someone's pronouns, you would use they/them in hopes of avoiding assuming they are either male or female.
Most importantly, using pronouns in emails (and generally using them in things like bios on social media) normalises their use. Before this normalisation, they were most often used by trans people to avoid people making assumptions about their gender using pictures. However transphobic people used this to easily target the people displaying pronouns online to spew transphobic abuse, so everyone using them makes trans people less easy to target as they're not the only ones clarifying their pronouns anymore.
Happy Exploring!
Freya (they/them/any)
