Let Me Fix That Email For You

An interpreting agency decided to triangulate deaf people, set us up to be the bad guys, so that they could continue to earn profit $$$.

An interpreting agency in DC (albeit not the only one) sent out an offensive email by suggesting that deaf people should take the blame for any fallout regarding solidarity with trans and gender nonconforming people. That triangulation was as obvious as day. See my instagram reel for an explanation.

Excerpt: “While we understand that this decision may be sensitive to some of us, we have to comply with our clients’ policies in order to continue serving the communities that depend on us.”

You don’t get to drag deaf people in the middle. Even if you are deaf, siblings of deaf people, or Codas yourselves (hint hint). History has long shown us that deaf people with proximity to power, e.g. white educated elites will gladly and quickly throw other deaf people under the bus in order to advance their own social and economic interests (see long histories of ableism, racism, and sexism among deaf elites in the U.S.).

So, let me fix that email for you in a way that would not have been triangulation, would have not set up deaf people to become trapped as competitors in a perverse form of oppression Olympics, a lot more honest, and if you wanted to, act as allies to trans and gender nonconforming people and those who love us.

After all, you don’t have to provide services to the federal government. That is YOUR choice. You chose to do so because of profit. It’s as simple as that. This isn’t altruistic about access or whatever. Not in a capitalist economy.

See my edits below. Bold: honest and accountable. Additions made as suggestions to be considerate of trans and gender nonconforming people.

Dear Service Providers,

We have learned of an OPM (Office of Personnel Management) memo issued on Wednesday, January 29 instructing department heads to “review agency email systems such as Outlook and turn off features that prompt users for their pronouns.”

Federal workers and contractors have been asked to remove pronouns from their email signatures as part of a broader policy change, no later than Friday, January 31, 2025.

As part of our ̶c̶o̶m̶m̶i̶t̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ desire to comply with federal regulations and agency-specific requirements to maintain our business relationship with federal agencies, we ̶n̶e̶e̶d̶ want all freelance interpreters willing to continue to work ̶w̶o̶r̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ in government settings to adhere to these guidelines.

While we understand that this decision may be ̶s̶e̶n̶s̶i̶t̶i̶v̶e̶ offensive to some of us, we disregard these sentiments ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ in our desire to comply with our clients’ policies in order to ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶i̶n̶u̶e̶ ̶s̶e̶r̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶m̶u̶n̶i̶t̶i̶e̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶d̶e̶p̶e̶n̶d̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶u̶s̶ remain in business and retain those lucrative federal contracts.

To ensure full compliance with government agency policies and executive orders, ̶a̶l̶l̶ freelancers who want to continue working in federal agencies must remove any pronouns from their display names and email signatures across all platforms used for official communication.

This includes but is not limited to:

· Email accounts (both signature and display name)

· Video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, etc.

· Usked Contact Info / Profiles

̶F̶a̶i̶l̶u̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶Any refusal to comply will result in restrictions on your ability to work within these agencies. We realize that this has an adverse effect on those who are trans, gender nonconforming and others who do not have the privilege to comply. We are committed to equity by promising to prioritize trans and gender nonconforming interpreters for non-federal assignments. We will honor those who do not wish to comply and will offer other non-federal work when possible.

We recognize that this might have an adverse impact on our bottom line and on the economic well being of many of those who work with us. We will work to secure more non-federal contracts to offset any losses incurred by reduction in service to the federal government.

Our deaf clients will continue to be served by interpreters who are willing to comply with this regulation. If need be, we will recruit more interpreters who are willing to comply for the sole purpose of filling federal assignments.

We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.

Thank you for your cooperation so we can stay in business. a̶n̶d̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶i̶n̶u̶e̶d̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶m̶i̶t̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶e̶r̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶m̶u̶n̶i̶t̶i̶e̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶n̶e̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶a̶c̶c̶e̶s̶s̶.̶

With gratitude,

INTERPRETING AGENCY NAME REDACTED… for now.

There you go. Fixed. Isn’t that better?

If you need a copywriter or a thoughtful “coming to Jesus” talk, I freelance.