AP’s Matt Lee Asks Biden State Department Why They’ve Added Mandatory Pronouns onto the From Line on State Department Emails: ‘This Is Not an Optional Thing’

Lee Have you got ░░░░░░░░ E mails from any ░░░░░░░░ your colleagues in the ░░░░░░░░ you know before you ░░░░░░░░ out here obviously not ░░░░░░░░ you were at the ░░░░░░░░ but since about noon ░░░░░░░░ so PATEL I why ░░░░░░░░ t you get to ░░░░░░░░ question Laughs Lee Have ░░░░░░░░ PATEL What s your ░░░░░░░░ Laughs Lee Are you ░░░░░░░░ to look at them ░░░░░░░░ now PATEL My E ░░░░░░░░ Lee Yeah PATEL I ░░░░░░░░ not gonna pull up ░░░░░░░░ E mail from the ░░░░░░░░ Lee No no you ░░░░░░░░ t need to show ░░░░░░░░ to me I want ░░░░░░░░ notice I want to ░░░░░░░░ if you ve noticed ░░░░░░░░ differently from line where ░░░░░░░░ gives the sender PATEL ░░░░░░░░ this would be a ░░░░░░░░ better if you would ░░░░░░░░ ask us what your ░░░░░░░░ was Lee Well I ░░░░░░░░ you so you haven ░░░░░░░░ noticed anything PATEL No ░░░░░░░░ Okay Well within the ░░░░░░░░ hour and a half ░░░░░░░░ hours the State Department ░░░░░░░░ internal E mail system ░░░░░░░░ I tested this so ░░░░░░░░ know that s true ░░░░░░░░ added pronouns to people ░░░░░░░░ not their signature but ░░░░░░░░ their you know where ░░░░░░░░ says From so it ░░░░░░░░ say him he his ░░░░░░░░ her she hers Why ░░░░░░░░ is not an optional ░░░░░░░░ This is something that ░░░░░░░░ been just arbitrarily imposed ░░░░░░░░ know I understand that ░░░░░░░░ could have their pronouns ░░░░░░░░ if they wanted them ░░░░░░░░ a signature before but ░░░░░░░░ is not something that ░░░░░░░░ has a choice about ░░░░░░░░ so I m just ░░░░░░░░ why and who made ░░░░░░░░ decision PATEL Well Matt ░░░░░░░░ have not seen this ░░░░░░░░ for myself Lee Okay ░░░░░░░░ have and I ll ░░░░░░░░ it to you as ░░░░░░░░ PATEL Just so to ░░░░░░░░ you a question is ░░░░░░░░ just for internal State ░░░░░░░░ Lee Obviously not because ░░░░░░░░ tested it I got ░░░░░░░░ E mail from someone ░░░░░░░░ this building whereas before ░░░░░░░░ did not have any ░░░░░░░░ these pronouns attached to ░░░░░░░░ sender s name It ░░░░░░░░ does And I ve ░░░░░░░░ been told from other ░░░░░░░░ that many of them ░░░░░░░░ When you send it ░░░░░░░░ it does it have ░░░░░░░░ Lee I ll show ░░░░░░░░ to you in a ░░░░░░░░ PATEL Okay What I ░░░░░░░░ just say Lee If ░░░░░░░░ don t know anything ░░░░░░░░ this then that s ░░░░░░░░ Can you look into ░░░░░░░░ Because I d like ░░░░░░░░ know why PATEL I ░░░░░░░░ happy to look into ░░░░░░░░ but I would just ░░░░░░░░ Why this would not ░░░░░░░░ an optional thing for ░░░░░░░░ to do The problem ░░░░░░░░ is that a lot ░░░░░░░░ them or at least ░░░░░░░░ of them so far ░░░░░░░░ far as I have ░░░░░░░░ able to tell are ░░░░░░░░ They re giving the ░░░░░░░░ pronoun so men are ░░░░░░░░ identified as women and ░░░░░░░░ as men And this ░░░░░░░░ nothing to do with ░░░░░░░░ transgender or anything like ░░░░░░░░ but it s ridiculous ░░░░░░░░ This phenomenon has not ░░░░░░░░ its way to my ░░░░░░░░ but I will be ░░░░░░░░ to check on this ░░░░░░░░ you Lee Well I ░░░░░░░░ told you about it ░░░░░░░░ can you PATEL Broadly ░░░░░░░░ Matt broadly though Matt ░░░░░░░░ course the ability for ░░░░░░░░ to Lee I don ░░░░░░░░ have a problem with ░░░░░░░░ it and if people ░░░░░░░░ to have whatever pronoun ░░░░░░░░ to it it s ░░░░░░░░ but it should be ░░░░░░░░ choice right not something ░░░░░░░░ the State Department imposes ░░░░░░░░ people especially if it ░░░░░░░░ wrong PATEL I will ░░░░░░░░ into this I m ░░░░░░░░ aware Thanks everybody Happy ░░░░░░░░