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Home  >  United Airlines  >  United Airlines Invites Employees To Add Gender Pronouns To Email Signatures
United Airlines

United Airlines Invites Employees To Add Gender Pronouns To Email Signatures

Matthew Klint Posted onJune 28, 2021June 28, 2021 46 Comments

United Airlines has invited employees to add gender pronouns to their email signatures, a move it says is aimed at creating a more inclusive workplace.

United Airlines Encourages Employees To Use Gender Pronouns

In a memo to employees reviewed by Live and Let’s Fly, United outlines its priority in allowing employees to “be their authentic selves” in order to creates flourishing work environment:

At United, we understand that to become the most inclusive airline, we must be open to learning and making changes that create a workplace culture where our employees can be their authentic selves. To build an environment of greater inclusion, we are inviting employees to add gender pronouns to their email signatures to create space for employees of all gender identities to be seen and referred to in the manner that is most affirming, respectful and courteous. 

Going beyond the effects of such a change, United explains why it views this policy change as necessary:

Pronouns are used in everyday conversation to refer to either the people talking (like “I” or “you”) or someone or something that is being talked about (like “she,” “it,” “them,” and “this”). We use gender pronouns to refer to each other’s gender identity and usually interpret or “read” a person’s gender based on their outward appearance and expression, and “assign” a pronoun. This can be harmful as the reading may not be a correct interpretation of a person’s internal, individual experience of gender. There are non-binary individuals who may identify as fluctuating between genders, having two or more genders, being third gender or even having no gender at all, so it is important that we normalize the courteous question, “What are your pronouns?” 

United also proposes

  • Sharing your pronouns when introducing yourself. For example: “My name is Jane and my pronouns are they/them/theirs.”
  • When addressing groups of people or people whose pronouns have not been shared with you, use gender-neutral language such as “everyone,” “all” or “folks” rather than “ladies and gentlemen,” “guys,” etc.

Jessica Kimbrough, United’s Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, added:

“Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is rooted in our dedication to our employees, customers and the communities we serve. We are continuing to cultivate an inclusive workplace that encourages employees to be themselves and identify in the way that feels most true to who they are.”

CONCLUSION

United Airlines is encouraging employees to use gendered pronouns in email. It casts this invitation as part of its effort to be “affirming, respectful, and courteous” to all employees.

image: United Airlines

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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46 Comments

  1. Andy K Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 4:05 pm

    I refuse to do this on my work email, despite similar “wokist” efforts by my company. Guess what — my name makes it abundantly clear what my gender and preferred pronoun are. Besides, most trannies change their names anyways — think Bruce “call me Caitlin” Jenner. If someone changes their gender but keeps a name associated with their original gender, they deserve to be misgendered.

    • Rich Reply
      June 28, 2021 at 4:51 pm

      I have a female friend named Andrea who goes by Andy, so I resume your pronouns are she/her/hers.

      • Andy K Reply
        June 28, 2021 at 5:30 pm

        Well then you’re a dumba**. Your friend should either use the spelling “Andi” or make reference to her own pronouns.

        Very ignorant of you to think that this is an issue with first names that can be used interchangeably between two genders (Taylor, as an example). This is all about LGBTQ+, which is entirely different.

    • Avery Reply
      June 28, 2021 at 6:04 pm

      The point is to normalize the practice to encourage inclusion of a marginalized population. A small act that does nothing to you can help move a culture forward

      • Joe Reply
        June 28, 2021 at 6:15 pm

        “Forward”

      • Right-This-Way Reply
        June 29, 2021 at 11:12 pm

        ..”marginalized”…… another overused buzzword. Exactly how are these people marginalized ???????

      • Enoch Snow Reply
        June 30, 2021 at 10:35 pm

        Marginalized! Why are they Marginalized? If someone chooses or decides they are not happy with the way they were born and wants to go a different route they bare the responsibility for the outcome. Why should our government and corporations be spending billions of dollars trying to change-force society into believing what is completely false. Ladies and Gentleman, this is just the beginning of woes! It’s only a matter of time before someone wakes up some morning and decides they are a chipmunk or woodchuck and ask for a special meal choice of chestnuts and live mice? You laugh! Just wait and see.

    • Bill Reply
      June 28, 2021 at 8:58 pm

      There’s an ignoramus in every group — so I assume it’s nice to get your bigotry out of the way early. I know how threatening it must be for you to hear others share their preferred pronouns when you’re used to things the way they’ve always been. You and the other Neanderthals can go back to your horse and buggy contraptions and celebrate the good ‘ole days that weren’t so good to so many, #smh

      • Right-This-Way Reply
        June 29, 2021 at 11:19 pm

        Knock yourself out when you look at someone and can’t figure out if it’s a man transitioning to a woman, a woman transitioning to a man, a woman who just looks/ dresses like a man, a man who just looks/dresses like a woman? By the time you figure out what you are looking at, let alone what pronoun to use, your head will be mush….. but have at if you’re so inclined. Sort of like people who name their kids such odd monikers that they have to spell it and pronounce it for everyone and then one never knows if Hudson or Riley or Thatcher or Katmandu is female, male, mineral or animal. There’s enough stress in this world without worrying or being called biased or intolerant because you don’t know what you’re looking at !

    • ptahcha Reply
      June 29, 2021 at 1:18 am

      So we should refer you by she/her/hers then because that’s what I am assuming what your preferred pronouns are.

    • Aaron Reply
      June 29, 2021 at 6:27 am

      The fact that you call transgendered people “trannies” says all it needs to about you.

    • John F Reply
      June 30, 2021 at 8:58 am

      Someone seems a bit, dare I say, triggered! Ironic how right-wingers will melt down over the most mundane things, then have the gall to call others snowflakes.

  2. Santastico Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 4:31 pm

    United is trying way to hard. This will splash back on them. Wait and see.

    • Shaun Reply
      June 28, 2021 at 9:02 pm

      How? The airline industry is probably the most LGBTQ friendly in the world. Their competitors will probably follow suit. They won’t lose ant business over this…and if they do…they’ll gain it back when AA or DL announces the same thing in a week.

    • Tony Reply
      June 29, 2021 at 7:50 pm

      Really? you think that when people are booking flights they are deciding “oh this airline wants its employees to announce their pronouns, let me go pick spirit instead” give me a break. 90% of leisure travelers pick airlines based on price, and business travelers pick based on schedule and comfort and perks, not on employee emails lmao

    • UA-NYC Reply
      June 30, 2021 at 2:27 pm

      Just like the Kaepernick advertising really hit Nike hard, when all the same right-wingers had the same reaction as they do here.

      (oh wait, they have had record growth every year since then)

  3. derek Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 4:35 pm

    They forgot some important ones. Instead of “guy” or “ladies and gentlemen”, use “Comrade”.

    Does anyone know? In the Chinese language, not much he or she. Names are also unisex. Some names are mostly girls names but many are unisex. For example, Lin Mei-Ling is probably a woman but Lin Wen-Je is unknown. I am really guessing so forgive any errors.

  4. Jerry Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 4:49 pm

    All I’m all for this, but it’s funny to me that they’re being encouraged to say “folks.” I don’t know, I guess it just sounds a little folksy. It’s bad enough hearing people say “y’all” in professional settings. Maybe Kyle can chime in and let us know if passengers at PIT are being addressed as “Yinz.”

    • Andy K Reply
      June 28, 2021 at 5:31 pm

      Also, folks is from the German word Volken. Maybe they will be accused of condoning Nazism. Anything is possible these days.

      • Aaron Reply
        June 29, 2021 at 6:29 am

        You’re an idiot. And a hateful one at that, apparently.

  5. DaninMCI Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 4:53 pm

    #firstworldproblems ?

  6. Nick Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 6:06 pm

    Until United starts handing out upgrades based on gender and race is all pandering and first class will still be full of old white dudes.

  7. derek Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 6:15 pm

    “My name is Jane and my pronouns are they/them/theirs.” This is so stupid. My name is derek and my federal income tax rate is ___? My name is John and I am a homosexual. My name is Hans and I drive a BMW. When you say “this belongs to Jane, give it to her” you are not assuming that Jane is a lesbian or bisexual or whatever.

    As far as “folks”, not appropriate, too chummy, harassment!

    Dear Colleagues is what I sometimes write but I could say it. Just remember that saying “Ladies and Gentlemen” is not exclusionary or shouldn’t be. If it is, then LGBTQIA is exclusionary because it could be LGBTQIA2S. LGBTQIA also omits the H as in normal heterosexual. Why are LGBTQIA people exclusionary?

    United should stop being so weird. Be nice to all. Don’t use weird words or odd ways of saying things.

    • DaninMCI Reply
      June 29, 2021 at 6:21 am

      derek offers the best response to this nonsense that I’ve ever read. +1

      Btw…I’m Dan a Christian Audi driver from Illinois, nice to meet ya’ll. My pronouns are Mister, Dude, hey White guy or sir.

    • Aaron Reply
      June 29, 2021 at 6:33 am

      Nobody is being forced to do this, it is just United giving their employees the option of doing so.

      Also the examples you use are totally unrelated, comparing the car a person drives to how they identify is almost asinine. Almost.

      • Right-This-Way Reply
        June 29, 2021 at 11:30 pm

        No, they are not forcing their employees to do this. However all you need is some whiney little snowflake who takes offense at being misgendered and runs straight to HR to report someone. Do you really think United HR will have a fair viewpoint and even consider both sides of what happened? No, the sobbing, whining, offended employee will be put on a pedestal and 90,000 others will have to hear the ever-present “zero tolerance”, “subject to discipline up-to-and-including termination”, etc., etc. So, I retract here,…. one could say they are FORCING their employees to think, accept, embrace and tolerate every nuance of society. It’s almost a threat as far as I can see.

  8. Joe Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 6:16 pm

    My preferred pronoun is “His Excellency” – please refer to me as such for the sake of marginalized populations

    • GS Guy Reply
      June 28, 2021 at 8:48 pm

      My pronouns are Thee, Thou, Thy. Use.them or I shall smite ye!

    • Bandmeeting Reply
      June 28, 2021 at 9:25 pm

      I go by “His Studlyness”.

  9. Dale Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 6:16 pm

    UAL going woke. As it was in the days of Lot….

    • Right-This-Way Reply
      June 29, 2021 at 11:32 pm

      @Dale…. LOL…. indeed as in the days of Lot….. Sodom & Gomorrah.

      • Right-This-Way Reply
        June 29, 2021 at 11:36 pm

        …. except for Lot and his two daughters escaping, it didn’t go well for anybody else !!!

  10. Adil Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 7:00 pm

    My preferred pronouns at work for some of my colleagues are unprintable!

    Retirement cannot come soon enough.

  11. CHRIS (me/mine) Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 7:17 pm

    Why run a well-operated business when you can engage in this foolishness instead?

  12. S Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 7:30 pm

    If my company asked me to introduce myself as my name and my pronouns with it, I’d hand in my resignation that day.

    • Shaun Reply
      June 28, 2021 at 9:06 pm

      Doubtful

  13. Jackson Waterson Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 11:12 pm

    I don’t think United wants diversity and inclusion. They seem to be happy excluding white/Christian/conservative voices. They are not interested in true diversity and openness. They never cater to straight people or seek to make accommodations for white people. Instead, it bends over backwards for 10% of the population (lgbtqa) and 1% (T) who are offended by pronouns 99% of people use.

    Isn’t it crazy that 50% of marketing is dedicated to lgbtqa when only 10% of the population is lgbtqa? Isn’t it crazy we have news sites and blogs with pride flags in their logo and banner but we don’t have news sites and blogs with Christian flags or straight pride flags. Only some groups ( lgbtqa/blacks/liberals) are given a voice and others (whites/Christians/straight people/conservatives-libertarians-anyone who supports freedom from government interference) are not.

    • Aaron Reply
      June 29, 2021 at 6:35 am

      “They seem to be happy excluding white/Christian/conservative voices. They are not interested in true diversity and openness. They never cater to straight people or seek to make accommodations for white people.”

      And examples?

  14. Brian L. Reply
    June 28, 2021 at 11:19 pm

    If someone puts their pronouns in their email signature, or otherwise makes that information known to me without prompting, that tells me that I want nothing to do with them.

  15. ptahcha Reply
    June 29, 2021 at 1:20 am

    Nothing wrong with adding preferring pronoun in the email signature, but I don’t see how this will enhance the employment experience for front line workers, where they are not email the customers.

  16. JB Reply
    June 29, 2021 at 1:50 am

    > “…a move it says is aimed at creating a more inclusive workplace.”
    I think they mean a more profitable business, rather than more inclusive workplace.

  17. john Reply
    June 29, 2021 at 11:12 am

    My pronouns are nor/mal, please respect them.

  18. Clive Rayman Reply
    June 29, 2021 at 12:52 pm

    To hell with United! this BS is political correctness is over the top now.

  19. chasgoose Reply
    June 29, 2021 at 7:01 pm

    Some people are so ignorant. How is requesting that someone to use preferred pronouns any different than telling your name/nickname and expecting them to refer to you as such. If someone told you their name and you didn’t use it, you would be seen as rude and they would have a right to be mad. Same should go for pronouns.

  20. david Reply
    July 1, 2021 at 6:50 am

    “For example: “My name is Jane and my pronouns are they/them/theirs.””

    I don’t even know what this means. What am I supposed to do with that information? See here’s the thing. I don’t give shat what type of genitalia you have, what you do with it, or who you sleep with. It doesn’t make you special or worthy of recognition.

  21. Pingback: The Return Of 'Woke' United Airlines - View from the Wing

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