LEGALLY COMPLIANT E-MAIL SIGNATURE

I am a person in the Linguistics Department at the University of Kansas! To comply with Kansas SB 125, my e-mail signature cannot tell you what pronouns to use when referring to me, so if you ever need to mention me in the third person please make your best guess!

In case you're wondering, SB 125 makes it illegal for a state employee's e-mail signature to say things like, for instance, oh I dunno, "My name is Stephen Politzer-Ahles and you can use the pronouns he[nom.] / him[acc.] / his[poss.] / his[Det.] to refer to me if you'd like to". Saying a thing like that would be wrong, so nobody should do it!

Linguists recognize a distinction between mentioning a word and using a word. Mentioning a word is like when you have an academic discussion about the history and etymology of the phrase "goddamnit". Using a word is like when you stub your toe and shout "goddamnit!" The word has different semantic characteristics (and even a different part of speech) when it is used than when it is mentioned, and it signals different ostensive-inferential intentions from the speaker. All that is to say, when I list "My name is Stephen Politzer-Ahles and you can use the pronouns he[nom.] / him[acc.] / his[poss.] / his[Det.] to refer to me if you'd like to" as an example of the kinds of things that e-mail signatures from Kansas state employees must not contain, I am not using any pronouns, but am mentioning them in order to offer guidance about how to comply with the law.

I should also note that SB 125 also requires removing any gender ideology from e-mail signatures. Pronouns are not the only things that signify gender; my name and appearance would also risk giving away my gender identity! So, if you are reading this e-mail, please DO NOT go up to the From line and look at my name, and if my little SharePoint contact card pops up with my headshot on it then please DO NOT look at it! It is very important to Kansas lawmakers that you not know what my gender is!