But why is treating someone with basic common decency at your discretion? How exactly do you rationalize that? Peterson did, but it merely shows him to be an asshole and not a free-speech pioneer. And how is that materially any different than not calling someone the "N" word? It isn't, because misgendering someone is just as offensive to them as using that word is to most Black people.
I can't believe that I have to explain this to you, but putting your pronouns in your emails is not about YOU. It's about normalizing the practice so that people who do require clarification don't feel ostracized and othered for doing so. It's about creating an environment that is both accepting and supportive of people who do have non-standard pronouns.
I don't know how it is in the UK or where you work but in many, many American states, your employer has a right to fire you for pretty much anything they want to as long as it isn't an illegal reason. They don't like your MAGA hat, they can fire you; they don't like you singing show tunes on your break, they can fire you. Unless these things are specifically stipulated in a union contract, or additional protective laws of some sort are in place, you are SOL, with no rights or recourse. You may find that objectionable, but it is the flip side of what you think of as free speech. Your employer, your professional organization, your government all have a huge amount of power to censure you because that's how the "free market" works. All the rights don't belong just to you, there are commensurate rights that others have that balance out yours.
The unhinged blind rage of cancel culture comes largely from the fact that we still live in deeply racist, misogynistic, and homophobic societies. And no amount of talking about it reasonably seems to make a dent. In fact, in many respects, it's just getting worse. Does it sometimes bring out the worst instincts in people? No question, but so do riots - and yet they are often amazingly effective in moving the ball forward. That doesn't mean I condone rioting, but I do understand it - because "asking nicely" and "learning how to interact properly" hasn't moved the ball so far. And, I care about pragmatics a lot more than I care about ought tos.
