Pronouns In Email Signatures – Why Are Staff Doing This?

Over the past 3 years George House Trust has been working towards becoming a more inclusive and welcoming organisation for Trans people.  Staff members set up a Trans Inclusion Working Group to look at all the ways we could achieve this aim and some encouraging progress has been made in a number of areas.  The group believes that adding pronouns to our staff’s email signatures is the next logical step in becoming a more trans inclusive organisation, and that it aligns with the goals of the Trans Inclusion Statement which was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2019.  A copy of the statement can be found here.

We recognise that this topic might be quite new to many people so we thought it would be helpful to provide some brief explanations.

What do you mean by ‘Transgender’ or ‘Trans’?

Trans is an umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth.

Some trans people identify as neither male or female, or as a combination of both male and female.  They may use terms such as gender non-conforming, non-binary or genderqueer to describe their gender identity.

If you would like more info Stonewall have produced this in depth guide ‘The Truth about Trans’.

What are pronouns?

You may not know the word “pronoun,” but you use them every day!  Pronouns are used instead of a proper noun (like a person’s name).  We use pronouns regularly when mentioning someone without using their name.

Example: Have you seen Julia?  She hasn’t texted me back all day.  She is the pronoun.

Many non-binary people prefer to use gender neutral pronouns such as they and them.

Why is it important to add pronouns to our email signatures?

In English, our most commonly used pronouns (he/she) specifically refer to a person’s gender.  For gender non-conforming, non-binary, and transgender people, these pronouns may not fit, can create discomfort, and can cause stress and anxiety.

Adding pronouns to an email signature has the practical benefit of making clear how you would like to be referred to, while also signalling to the person receiving the email that you will respect their gender identity and their choice of pronouns.  It is an effective way of normalising discussions about gender and creating a more inclusive environment for transgender and non-binary staff, volunteers and service users.

As an organisation we recognise that our work towards becoming more inclusive and welcoming to trans and non-binary people is never done.  Including pronouns on our email signatures is a small but important step on that journey.