Putting one’s gender pronouns in email signatures, Zoom meetings, and LinkedIn bios has become popular as identifying with the LGBTQ community has soared
Most Canadians think that sharing gender pronouns on work calls and in video meetings has either no impact or actually “encourages stereotypes,” according to a new national survey.
Recommended Videos
The Leger poll found that 36 per cent of people agreed with the former and 29 per cent with the latter.
Jack Jedwab, who commissioned the poll for the Association for Canadian Studies, called the finding the survey’s “biggest takeaway.” The president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute said the “results put some of the onus on those insisting on the benefits of pronouns to explain why they’re persuaded about their effectiveness when a large majority believe they don’t have the desired outcome.”
The poll found that even among the youngest respondents, those aged 18 to 24, a narrow majority (33 per cent) say the use of personal pronouns in work calls or meetings reinforces gender stereotypes rather than helping to break them down (32 per cent).
The uptick in diverse gender identities different from one’s birth sex – such as those who identify as transgender, non-binary, or gender fluid – has prompted academia and corporations to adopt various style guides and recommendations for best practices when communicating with such individuals.
Opposition to broader diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Canada and America has accelerated in recent months following Donald Trump’s election in the U.S. In late December, Pierre Poilievre spoke with Peterson, outlining a vision that immigrants should embrace a national identity rather than highlight differences.
“Most people come here to get away from those things. So by getting back to a common sense of values and identity, and reminding people that they are — when they get here, they are Canadian first. Canada first. Leave the hyphens; we don’t need to be a hyphenated society,” Poilievre said on Peterson’s podcast. He encouraged Canadians to “put aside race, this obsession with race that wokeism has reinserted.”
The Conservative Party leader’s comments were in line with the Leger poll showing few Canadians see similar disclosures about religious affiliations (10 per cent), ethnic background (16 per cent), spoken language (17 per cent) and disability status (19 per cent) as a constructive step towards breaking down stereotypes. By comparison, more Canadians believe such statements encourage stereotypes when it comes to identifying one’s religion (32 per cent), ethnicity (27 per cent), spoken language (22 per cent) and disability status (25 per cent).
Jedwab believes that the limited number of Canadians who believe personal pronouns are an inclusive measure for combating stereotypes (17 per cent) foreshadows a deeper struggle unfolding across society regarding, “How we make society more equitable and inclusive in constructive ways.”
The online Leger poll surveyed 1,578 Canadians between Jan. 17 and 19. A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey for comparison purposes. A probability sample of 1,578 respondents would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here.