I find the whole "Ms, Mr, Mrs, Miss" all very strange because of the emphasis it places on gender. I see gender differently from most people in that to me, it really means nothing to me and I'm more inclined to think of people by their merits than the body they possess or the gender identity they have. I grew up around people who all have doctorates, both medical and non, and who have all insisted on being referred to as Dr., and then the people who aren't doctors always have some job that generally has them referred to by their position, (e.g. rabbi, judge). The idea of being referred to by any of the above titles referenced in the title of this article makes me uncomfortable and I cringe when I see them on envelopes intended for me, so I'm just really excited to get a doctorate when I'm older because I'll be Dr. then and not any of those. I guess it's just based on how I want to be seen as a person. I want to be seen as "This person is skilled in this" instead of "this person has this gender identity and this marital status". My parents both have Ph.Ds and are always referred to as Dr., as is my brother who has a Ph.D and his wife, who has an Md, so it may just be my upbringing. The idea though just alienates me, similar to that custom of women changing their last name when getting married.
11 Dec 2011, 3:42 am
