A British bank slammed its own customers over disagreement with its pronoun policy, causing many to withdraw funds or close their accounts.
Halifax Bank tweeted an image of a nametag for “Gemma” — who apparently has “she/her/hers” pronouns — on June 28, along with the caption “pronouns matter.”
Pronouns matter. #ItsAPeopleThing pic.twitter.com/vj9UdlBnLy
— Halifax (@HalifaxBank) June 28, 2022
One user replied that he “was hoping this was a joke” and is now considering taking his business elsewhere. In response, a Halifax representative named Lee said that the company strives for “inclusion and equality.”
Hi, I’m Lee. At Halifax, we strive for inclusion and equality. Giving our colleagues the option to add their pronouns on their badge, helps to create an inclusive environment for our customers and colleagues.
— Halifax (@HalifaxBank) June 28, 2022
Another user replied by noting that there is “no ambiguity” about the female name “Gemma,” calling the post “pathetic virtue signalling” and asking Halifax why it is “trying to alienate people.” A Halifax representative named “AndyM” then told the user he is “welcome to close your account” if he disagrees with “our values.”
We strive for inclusion, equality and quite simply, in doing what’s right. If you disagree with our values, you’re welcome to close your account. ^AndyM
— Halifax (@HalifaxBank) June 28, 2022
Indeed, several users took the representative’s advice and ceased doing business with Halifax. One account holder told The Daily Mail that they have already pulled out “investments and savings worth £450,000” — nearly $550,000. Many others “said they are closing ISAs, cutting up credit cards or transferring balances to rivals,” according to the outlet.
Some high-profile customers followed suit. “I’m a homosexual man. I’m appalled by your adoption of this homophobic, woman-hating claptrap, and by your attitude to customers making perfectly reasonable objections to it,” Gareth Roberts, a former Doctor Who scriptwriter, said on Twitter, noting that he has been a customer with the bank since 1988.
The willingness to cancel accounts appears to run in both directions. Halifax’s website explains that “transphobic” behavior may lead the company to end relations with a customer — or even involve law enforcement.
“We stand against discrimination and inappropriate behaviour in all forms, whether racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic or ableist, regardless of whether this happens in our branches, offices, over the phone or online on our social media channels,” the website says. “Such action may include account closure or contacting the police if necessary.”
Indeed, the United Kingdom has codified criminal offenses for so-called hate speech. The Public Order Act of 1986, for example, bans individuals from using “threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviours that causes, or is likely to cause, another person harassment, alarm or distress.” The law covers language deemed to incite “racial and religious hatred” as well as “hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.”
At least in the United States, consumers would prefer brands to stop preaching and pursue profits. In an exclusive Daily Wire poll conducted by Echelon Insights, while 29% of respondents agreed it is a “good thing” for companies to leverage their financial power for political or social means supported by executives, 58% — twice as many — said it is a “bad thing.”
Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who recently launched an anti-woke hedge fund, told “Morning Wire” that even for progressive investors who want to see their favorite causes advance, the best way to do so is not through a corporate entity.
“The way you would want to do it is to generate wealth for yourself that you can donate philanthropically,” he said. “And the way you generate wealth for yourself is through a capital market that most effectively enhances return. But what you’re doing through a politicized economy is effectively handing that power over instead to a small group of investment institutions, to the corporate boardrooms of this country that aren’t even the most effective ways of advancing your political agenda, even if you wanted to — say, from the progressive side or from the left-wing side.”