Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Preferred pronouns and the corporate email signature

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June 26, 2019

Good morning, Broadsheet readers! We speculate about whether architecture can reduce sexual harassment, Time’s Up has some suggestions for the Democratic debates, and preferred pronouns are making their way into corporate America. Have a wonderful Wednesday.

EVERYONE'S TALKING

She/Her/Hers. Last month, I wrote about an NYT story looking at the ways in which the growing number of people—particularly young people—who identify as nonbinary (neither only male nor only female) is challenging our society to evolve beyond its either/or view of gender.

This issue's been on my mind ever since, so I was interested to spot this piece about the trend in the corporate world of specifying your preferred pronouns in your email signature, Twitter bio, or other public profiles—or simply when you introduce yourself.

Quartz cites steps by companies like Workday, Intuit, IBM, and TIAA to make the process easier and more normalized. Yet the story doesn't skip over the complications that can arise when people or companies embrace the practice carelessly. One question that arises: Are firms essentially pressuring employees to reveal information about themselves that could lead to harm—including the loss of a job or even physical violence?

The best practice seems to be approaching the issue thoughtfully, sharing your pronouns as you feel comfortable and signaling to others that you're ready to adopt the correct language if they choose to do so in return.

What do you think, Broadsheet readers? Have you started incorporating your preferred pronouns into how you identify yourself? I'd love to hear about how you're thinking about this issue—please email me and let me know! We may use your response in a future Broadsheet. Quartz

Kristen Bellstrom (she/her/hers)
@kayelbee
kristen.bellstrom@fortune.com

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ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

 A thousand words. A heartbreaking photo of a father and daughter who drowned crossing the Rio Grande has captured the devastating nature of the growing migrant crisis. Photojournalist Julia Le Duc shot the image and reported on the plight of the pair, Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez and 23-month-old daughter Valeria. Le Duc's photo calls to mind the 2015 image of a 3-year-old Syrian boy who drowned in the Mediterranean, which brought more attention to that crisis. Fortune

Your question's up. In this op-ed, Eva Longoria, a founding member of Time's Up, political strategists Ana Navarro, and Hilary Rosen, a Democratic strategist and co-founder of the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, put forth six women-centric questions that they'd like to see asked in this week's Democratic debates—and, I'd imagine, all presidential debates going forward. Washington Post

Building a safer future. Here's an unexpected angle on #MeToo: How can architects and interior designers create safer professional spaces that will help reduce sexual harassment and other types of misconduct? The answers are surprising. Harvard Business Review

Grisham takes the podium. Stephanie Grisham, deputy chief of staff and communications director for First Lady Melania Trump, will be the next White House press secretary. She replaces Sarah Huckabee Sanders and becomes President Trump's sixth communications director. Politico

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Meredith Whitney, who's often referred to as "the banking analyst who predicted the financial crisis, joins Zume as CFO. Tonia O'Connor, most recently head of Univision, has been named CEO of Chopra Global.

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content from Deloitte
Make Work Meaningful
Research shows that people want to do meaningful work. But how can companies improve the employee—and human—experience? Deloitte explores the benefits of looking beyond perks, rewards and support, to focusing on job fit, design and meaning.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Breakfast badass. We'll give you one guess on the name of the newest athlete to appear on the iconic Wheaties box. (Hint: Her name starts with an "S" and ends with "erena"!)  Star Tribune

An ugly accusation. Fatou Jallow, a winner of Gambia's top beauty pageant, has accused the nation's former president, Yahya Jammeh, of raping her. Jammeh, who fled Gambia after losing the 2017 election, has a long history of horrific acts, including the torturing and killing of enemies and the jailing and beating of protesters and journalists. He has never been held to account for his crimes. New York Times

New majority. New Pew Research Center data finds that women will soon represent the majority of the U.S.'s college-educated workforce for the first time ever. NPR

Share today's Broadsheet with a friend. Looking for previous editions? Click here.

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ON MY RADAR

Vaginas deserve giant ads, too New York Times

Chief, the New York club for elite women, is expanding Bloomberg

The obvious ways to squash tech's gender gap—from the women who made it to the top LinkedIn

Romance novelists write about sex and pleasure. On the Internet that makes them targets for abuse  Glamour

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QUOTE

I have asked myself if I feel a responsibility to help someone—or a group, that may not be as privileged as me. Is it my responsibility to stand up for them? Is it my responsibility to share the mic? And I've answered yes to that.
Janelle Monae, speaking to Fortune's Ellen McGirt about allyship
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