My pronouns

Previously on this blog, this, about preferred pronouns.   Back in March 2017, when I posted that, I reported that I had recently seen an email, the end of which was the statement:

"My pronouns are she/her/hers".

I see more of that now, including emails from some colleagues here, and some of my colleagues have badges like this, through the Students' Union:

Back in March 2017 I said:

"When talking about someone, for example, "go and talk to the librarian, and [pronoun] will help you", which pronoun do you use if you don't know the gender of that person?   If you use "he" or "she", that is gender specific and may not match the gender of the person.  "It" doesn't really work to refer to people.   I'd use "they".

But which pronouns would that person want used to refer to themselves?  That is what "my pronouns are..." is about.  Moves towards gender and transgender inclusion bring this issue to the foreground."

I think that still stands.   But why wear a badge?    I might think it is clear from looking at me what my preferred pronouns are, but actually why would it be?    To assume preferred pronouns is to jump to conclusions.    So, that is one reason for wearing it, to indicate what my pronouns actually are.    I think for me another reason is that it might make people I meet feel able to tell me what their preferred pronouns are, if they want to do that.   

Having thought that through, I now have a badge too.

Two resources, both present in March 2017 and still there now: 
A poster from Vanderbilt University, which includes some alternative pronouns ze/zir/zirs and ze/hir/hirs and advice on how to find out which pronouns a person prefers.   And this from University of California Davis points to mypronouns.org, which goes into some detail and has "non binary, gender neutral" titles as well. 

Searches for "my pronouns are", or "preferred gender pronouns" limiting to site:.edu or site:.ac.uk find more.