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2 months agoI avoid it almost all the time. Because:
- I avoid uncalled advice, so there goes 90% of the time when people would suggest a brand.
- I’d rather support local brands over country-wide or international brands. However most people whom I speak with are on the internet, and live far away.
- Most of the time talking about the product (e.g. “shavers”) works well enough, I don’t need to talk about the brand (e.g. “ACME shavers”).
- I’m one of those DIY muppets. Specially when it comes to kitchen stuff. I’m not talking about the brand of tomato sauce, I’m making it! (Or butter. Or pepper sauce. Or spice mix.)
[Reader, beware: take what I say with a grain of salt. I’m not trans, I just happen to have a few trans friends here and there.]
I think that people in general confuse the symbols too much with what they represent. Third person pronouns in English might symbolise your gender identity, but they aren’t the identity itself; first and foremost, you’re still you, regardless of those words. Just pick whatever you feel more comfortable with - be it “he/him”, “any”, or any other choice.
And remember that your choice of pronouns doesn’t dictate who you are. Even if you see yourself as effeminate, and even if you have an unclear identity, and go for he/him, there’s no contradiction. Same deal if you pick “any” and see yourself as a man.
And I feel like a lot of trans people have the same identity struggles as you do, or at least know someone in the same situation. Based on that I don’t think that the ones in good faith would bat an eye towards something like “he/him/any”.