Johns Hopkins Medicine gives staff 'inclusive' guide containing 50 pronouns employees can use on their ID badges

Johns Hopkins Medicine in Maryland provided its staff with an "inclusive" guide listing 50 different so-called pronouns that employees are allowed to use on their identification badges, according to documents recently obtained by Fox News Digital and the Daily Mail.

The pronoun-usage guide instructed staff on how to use various gender-neutral pronouns while working with patients and colleagues. Pronouns featured on the list included "Ae," "E/Ey," "Fae," "Per," "Ve," "Xe," and "Ze/Zie." Further, the guide explained to medical staff how to use the pronouns in a sentence.

"Ae cleaned the office all by aerself," the guide stated. "I gave faer the key."

In addition to pronoun usage, the JHM's language guide also advised staff to replace "Mr." and "Miss" with "Mx." when addressing "non-binary or gender-diverse people."

The guide, released by JHM's Office of Diversity, insisted that employees try to ask how someone prefers to identify.

"Always ask the person which they use if possible," it stated.

In March 2022, JHM updated its policy to allow its staff and employees to choose a name that aligns with their preferred gender identity to be featured on their identification badges and wristbands.

However, medical staff licensed in Washington, D.C., must carry badges that match their certification, according to Paula Neira, the program director for JHM's LGBTQ+ Equity and Education. Neira also noted that public safety officers must carry identification that matches their legal names.

In a podcast published by Johns Hopkins Medicine's Learning Technology & Innovation, Neira stated, "On the workforce side, for our people, we updated the ID badge policy this March of 2022 to allow us to use a chosen name on our ID badge."

Neira, a transgender Navy veteran, explained that there had been changes to Maryland law that allowed JHM to alter its policy.

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a retired professor and the former associate dean for curriculum at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, told Fox News Digital that communication between medical professionals and patients must be "clear."

Goldfarb serves as the board chair of Do No Harm, a group of medical professionals dedicated to "protect[ing] healthcare from a radical, divisive, and discriminatory ideology."

He stated, "The most important component of the physician patient relationship is the ability to have clear and appropriate communication," Goldfarb said. "To use pronouns associated with one's identification badge suggests that an individual has a particular ideological and political perspective."

"For some patients, this may be off-putting and actually damage the physician, patient relationship," Goldfarb continued. "Also, using a name that suggests a different gender from what the patient can clearly identify also could damage the physician[-]patient relationship, and should be avoided."

A spokesperson for JHM told Fox News Digital that it is committed to "fostering a supportive, diverse and inclusive community."

"As part of this focus and in compliance with Federal and state regulations, we enable our faculty, staff and employees to choose the way their names are displayed on their identification badges," the spokesperson stated.

"There are many reasons individuals may choose how they are identified, for example, some people may prefer to use a middle name, have cultural distinctions or preferences, or have gender ambiguous names," the spokesperson continued. "JHM will continue to provide options to our community to ensure a respectful and inclusive environment."

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