Recently saw a post from an enby friend who was traveling. They asked how often do you correct customer service providers on your title of address? We have all had that experience. People call me lady on a daily basis. I am a professional, a partner, a friend, an employee, a sibling, a runner, but according to Merriam-Webster I have never been a lady:
1 a: a woman having proprietary rights or authority especially as a feudal superior
b: a woman receiving the homage or devotion of a knight or lover
When I was on the phone with my internet service provider, they asked me if some form of my name was okay after we had been on the phone for several minutes. I asked a clarifying questions, and they went on to say, “Oh, you know, some people want to be called doctor.” I responded that while I was a doctor, I was not THEIR doctor, so please call me Crystal. At the end of our phone call, they then addressed me as Ms. Beal.
HSBC, an international bank, will now be offering UK clients several options for titles of address:
I love this!!!! Doctor is my hard-earned professional title, but I am not most people’s doctor. Call me Crystal, call me Mx Beal, call me Dr. Beal- please stop calling me lady!