Goldman Sachs has begun distributing pamphlets and posting signs in its offices across the country encouraging employees to be more inclusive when addressing others in the workspace.
One sign titled “Pronouns – bring your authentic self” includes a definition for proper pronoun usage in the workplace.
“A gender-neutral or gender-inclusive pronoun is a pronoun that does not associate a gender with the individual who is being discussed.”
This is what both sides of the sign looks like below which is being distributed through the firm’s “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Network” pic.twitter.com/juWUcYaxaF
— The Stanford Review (@StanfordReview) April 10, 2023
The signs appear to be part of a wider division called “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Network” that highlights LGBTQ employees with different positions in the company.
It goes on to read, “This list represents the most common feminine, masculine, and gender-neutral pronouns. However, it’s worth noting this is not an exhaustive list of gender-neutral pronouns, any combination is possible – and people should select the pronoun(s) that most accurately reflect their gender identity.”
The pronouns listed include she/her/hers/herself, he/him/his/himself, they/them/their/themself, as well as the less familiar ze/zir (zem)/zirs (zes)/zirself (zemself).
It adds “gender-neutral” alternatives to pronouns. These alternatives are using a person’s given name.
Tips on how to be “an inclusive ally” are found on another sign that was placed in cubicles in other Goldman Sachs branches.
One sign reminds employees to not assume someone’s “name or gender expression based solely on their physical appearance.”
It stresses that employees should be proactive in sharing their pronouns, and notes that employees should use “they/them” when someone hasn’t “expressly stated their pronouns.”
This sign instructs employees to use gender-inclusive language like “Hi all” rather than “Hi guys,” which may be offensive.
There are also instructions in case you misgender someone by apologizing, correcting it, and then moving forward, encouraging employees to practice using gender-inclusive pronouns so as not to make such mistakes.
The footnote reminds employees to “Respect the Journey,” since some non-binary individuals may come to realize other pronouns fit them better.
The pamphlet was first introduced in 2019. The recent redistribution of the guide has some employees speculating that this is an attempt to shift attention away from recent sexism allegations at the company. Thousands of women have made claims about these ongoing issues at the firm.
According to NY Post, some of the allegations include women who say they have been “subjected for years to discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault by male managers at the Wall Street giant.”
CEO of Goldman Sachs, David M. Solomon could also be feeling intense pressure from the George Soros’ Corporate Equality Index (CEI) which is led by the largest LGBTQ+ lobbying group, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
According to NY Post, HRC has received millions from George Soros’ Open Society Foundation among others.
The organization allegedly issues “report cards” for America’s biggest corporations through the CEI. It then awards or subtracts “points” when companies properly adhere to HRC’s “rating criteria.”
Businesses that earn 100 total points are given the title “Best Place To Work For LGBTQ Equality.”
The CEI system is part of ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance), which involves the top three investment firms, BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street Bank.
These three firms just so happen to also be shareholders in Anheuser-Busch, Kate Spade, and Nike, all of which have recently been in the news for their use of Dylan Mulvaney to promote their products.
The HRC ranking system shows how companies can both earn and lose CEI points. The main categories for this are: “Workforce Protections,” “Inclusive Benefits,” “Supporting an Inclusive Culture,” and “Corporate Social Responsibility and Responsible Citizenship.”
This rating system incentivizes companies to adhere to CEI’s push for inclusivity in the workplace, branding, and personalities used to promote their products.
