M&S diversity officers give staff pronoun badges……. a step too far?

I spose better start using M&S more to make up for any lost business due to... No reason I have seen yet, I saw a nice cardi there the other day and could do with some work trousers

Sigh. By that logic every post on here is telling people what to think. You shouldn’t resort to name-calling.

I am sure its freudian that I always spell women wrong on these threads

It wasnt a personal attack. The word culture wars is frequently used in my view to shut people up, it's similar to be kind I think. In general I find it a way of controlling what people want to talk about. That's all. I would guess that a lot of the women on here know quite a lot about this issue and dont really want to ignore it. Sorry if you thought it was personal, it's just chucked at wonen a lot on this issue.

Why do I need to know someone's pronoun? What interest or use is it to me when all I want is to ask if something is in stock/how much something is/whether I need a carrier bag or not? Why is someone's private affairs being announced on a badge on their shoulder to customers who dont need that information to make a purchase?

This is the only reason: M&S (to score more Stonewall points) as they have already made the changing rooms in their stores to “unisex”, which means there are no longer safe places for women and girls.

AugustDay

I mean, it’s a thread asking for an opinion. And that’s mine. You don’t like it, you’re welcome to give yours. But personal attacks are uncalled for.

So why tell other posters what to do or not to do?

I mean, it’s a thread asking for an opinion. And that’s mine. You don’t like it, you’re welcome to give yours. But personal attacks are uncalled for.

I am not sure it matters who I am . You said to people on this thread to ignore it, not important, culture war etc, I was pointing out it's not up to you to decide what other people find important.
I agree you having a different opinion is great, telling people what subjects they should be interested in is slightly different.

Re: Galaxy

? what? Who even are you? I’ve never addressed you and this is your first contribution to this thread.

Someone having a different opinion to you is not controlling you.

Great point, mercuryqueen

My only concern with the badges is that it may well end up with staff being targeted by ignorant, hateful people if someone thinks that their appearance doesn't conform with their pronouns.

I'm glad to see that it's not mandatory, that it can be added, not must. Not everyone is comfortable with a public declaration of their pronouns, and nobody should ever be forced into doing so.

I think it will be very interesting if they have gender critical staff who ask to wear a badge stating biology is real or other similar statement. I think the court case might be interesting.

I’d be more impressed if M&S spent some time ensuring that they actually have anything to buy. I’ve been trying to spend some vouchers online with them and so many items are out of stock, or only available in size 6 or 24 (low stock). The website keeps crashing too.

Call me whatever pronoun you want.

"even phoned my children this morning to tell them never to buy me anything from there again."

Really? Way to overreact to something you do not agree with.

I am finished with M&S now, even phoned my children this morning to tell them never to buy me anything from there again. The company has been struggling for years because they have tried to be trendy, this is their death knell.

Good post, valdali. Would that you and others (I'll ask my deaf niece too) write to M&S and explain this. Whoever is advising them at the moment is narrow-minded.

rosie1959

Totally batshit I managed to survive several stints with M&S with just my name on my badge

Batshit is less crazy.

I know because we get batshit on our doorstep. They use a beam in the porch as a dining-room/summer roost.

Great idea, can't see a single reason why it wouldn't be or why anyone should have a problem with it.

She/her/hers for me please.

For goodness sake, this is total madness. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw it on the news today.

Love it btw, Aveline!

she/her/hers

I'm deaf and there have always been badges available to let people know that you are a lip-reader. (otherwise the assumption can be that you are just rude). I have never heard it advocated that everyone should wear a badge saying " please look at me when you speak, I may be a lipreader" although there are 12 million people with significant hearing loss in the UK (RNID 2020) who would benefit from this consideration by others. Hearing loss can't be the only example, if we have badges for every consideration that we could take into account when meeting a stranger, there is going to be a new societal norm of 3 minutes' silence when you meet a new person, to read all their badges. It would be a strange world.

Mentioned to dd. She has to have one at work. I don’t think you can be made to wear one though. You may not want anyone to know.

Who is SHE, the cats Mother?

She/her/hers

Kindly add your preferred pronouns Hithere.