My name is confusing, especially through email to strangers. They get an email from "Michal", and if they're not reading closely they tend to assume it says Michael. If they are reading closely, they still may not know whether I am a male or a female since Michal is a pretty unusual name. I understand that. I have mostly come to grips with that. I get emails addressed to Michael and Mr. Pickett all the time and I usually refrain from commenting.
I appreciate the smarter folks who just repeat my name, Michal, as their greeting in the email. That's a good move, and I recommend it to everyone. It's a good play not to assume things, especially when assuming gender because if you're wrong, it's a big misstep. (Same goes for assuming a woman is pregnant.) What I HAVEN'T gotten before, I just got for the first time today: "Hi Mike!" IMO that's taking things at least 3 steps too far. 1. You didn't read my name correctly, 2. You assumed I was a guy, and 3. Even if I had signed my name Michael, why on earth do you think I go by Mike? Shouldn't you have assumed that I prefer to go by the name I gave you, "Michael"?
Bad play my gender-neutral friend. Bad play.
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6 comments:
Are you pregnant, Mike?
I thought this blog was going to be about you and Ben taking your last name in marriage.
Bad read my gender-neutral bag. Bad read.
I thought from the title that a sex change might be in the works (sts).
Hey, what if he thought that Michal shortens to Mike?
hahaha! who wrote you that?? you could always go by your first name, erika, at work......
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