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If you legally changed your name then it isn't an political act.

> I’m genuinely asking, because I’m under the impression that even asking people to respect your pronouns can be too political

That is just your assumption here. Why are you assuming that? It is almost as if you assume "apolitical" means "conservative". That isn't true, even if the left tries to tell you that all "apolitical" people are really closet conservatives that isn't really the case.

I’m assuming that because there are laws in several places in the country about whether or not trans people can use certain bathrooms, so I’m assuming it’s a political thing.

Yeah, so in those parts you will use the bathrooms you are allowed to use. I'm not sure what is unclear here?

I think my assumptions are different than you. I’ve met people, co workers, who have told me that a trans person asking to be described as a new name is political, and forcing the co worker to call them by a new name is forcing politics in the workplace. This is my understanding of what an apolitical workplace means. Am I wrong? I’ve generally avoided workplaces that claim to be apolitical explicitly because the people I know who claim to be apolitical actually claim that they’d never respect a trans persons new name, because that’s bringing politics into the workplace.

Then your problem isn't with apolitical workplaces, but with conservative workplaces.

Also, a few people saying that trans stuff is political doesn't mean that those views are the general consensus or that apolitical workplaces works with that. I haven't seen that and almost everywhere I've been doesn't really do politics at work. Trans people are just people etc, nobody cares.

How do you tell an apolitical workplace from a conservative workplace if the conservative workplace claims it’s apolitical?

poszlem 1716 days ago

I can assure you that most people would not bat an eye they were asked to use a different pronoun. The problem starts when they are 1) forced to do so b) suddenly have to "disclose" their own pronouns, and you end up on a zoom call with he/hims she/hers and one they/them.

The problem is not that some people want to stop being marginalised, the problem is that the aim is to marginalise a normal person.

> The problem starts when they are 1) forced to do

So is the apolitical thing that a co worker can choose not to call a trans person by their new name and pronouns and the trans person can’t demand it?

If they are rude then you can bring it up with your manager about them being rude. Companies usually doesn't accept rude behaviour or bullying. If they are fine with rude behaviour and bullying then you will have problems regardless of the political stance of the company.

poszlem 1716 days ago

There is no law that makes people call other people by their given names too. Or law that makes people call priests "father". I don't understand how that can be so hard to fathom.

You should not legislate kindness.

joshuamorton 1715 days ago

> There is no law that makes people call other people by their given names too.

Actually this would likely fall under some form of workplace harassment issue, and the company would have a duty to stop the harassment. ("Offensive conduct may include, but is not limited to, offensive jokes, slurs, epithets or name calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs", and it's kind of hard to imagine how calling someone a name that isn't theirs isn't a form of mockery or name calling.)

mvc 1715 days ago

What's a normal person?

Swizec 1716 days ago

> or trying to use a bathroom you think matches your gender

If you get in trouble for being in the wrong bathroom at work, you need to go find a company that isn’t full of children. Nobody has time to care where you pee