Air Force authorizes pronouns for email signature block

Airmen and Space Force Guardians are now authorized to include pronouns in their email signature block.

The Air Force’s official writing guide, The Tongue and Quill, states, “Official signature blocks should include name, rank, service affiliation, duty title, organization name, phone numbers and social media contact information. Pronouns such as he/him, she/her, or they/them are now authorized but not required.”

The Air Force’s LGBTQ Initiatives Team (LIT) has stated, “The change request was driven by awareness of a restrictive policy that was being used against transgender Airmen and Guardians who were authentically representing themselves.”

Lt. Col. Bree Fram, a LIT Transgender Policy Team co-lead, stated, “It was also important for many individuals often confused as being a different gender in their communications.”

Fram also remarked, “The use of correct pronouns is an easy way to show care and respect for Airmen and Guardians as individuals, and can help the DAF retain highly qualified individuals. Allowing pronouns in an individual’s signature block is a quick and simple way to eliminate confusion and promote a more inclusive culture.”

The news was recently made official, and the response on social media has been mixed. Some comments can be seen supporting the progressive change. However, many wonder why this change was made before an official change to drone strike target identification protocols.