Restaurant sign asking customers to “not presume the gender of our staff” goes viral
A restaurant has urged customers to “please not presume the gender of our staff” and instead use gender-neutral terms, such as “they” or “them” until “you know the person’s pronouns”.
A photo posted to social media shows a sign in the restaurant’s window to avoid saying “she is already helping me” as well as avoiding saying “thanks miss” or “hey man”.
“Please use neutral terms, so you aren’t mistakenly referring to someone as a gender they are not,” the sign says.
“Folks, pals, buds, champ, friend are all great ways to address others without presuming their gender. Greetings and goodbyes can be as simple as saying ‘hello everyone’ or ‘thanks buddy’.”
The sign concludes by reminding customers that “it’s okay to ask people which pronouns they use” and that “it is always helpful when you share yours, in an Instagram bio, or when asking someone else”.
“Little things like this can go a long way to make people feel seen and safe to be themselves. Thank you for helping us build a positive environment for our staff and our patrons alike!”
Many were quick to slam the sign, even though it’s not clear where the photo of the sign was taken.
One person replied, “I remember an old phrase from my days working in retail, ‘The customer is always right.’ Apparently, in 2019, that is no longer the case. Wonder how this is gonna work out for this place.”
Another asked, “Is being misgendered really worse than being called ‘champ’ or ‘buddy’ by another adult?”
“Life isn’t safe, reality is always a shock, from the moment we exit the womb. Inner security comes through going out there and knowing the real word,” they wrote.
However, others were more than happy to go by the new rules, saying that they don’t see a problem with the sign.
“Just one more example of why right-wingers don’t give a f**k about the wellbeing of workers,” one person wrote.
Another said that the initial response to the tweet was “legitimately disgusting”.
“The fact that people actually think like this hurt me. Respect other people, please,” they wrote.