UK bank tells customers to close their accounts after they complain about gender-pronoun badges for staff

• The British bank Halifax said Tuesday that staff can add pronouns to their name badges.
• The announcement received some criticism on social media.

A UK bank told customers to close their accounts after they complained about gender-pronoun badges for staff.

The British bank Halifax — a subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group — said Tuesday that it was giving its employees the option to add pronouns to their name badges.

It announced the move by posting an image on social media that shows a badge with the name "Gemma" alongside she/her/hers pronouns. The caption says: "Pronouns matter. #ItsAPeopleThing"

The post prompted some criticism on social media from people who called the badge "nonsensical' and accused the bank of "virtue signaling."

"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," Halifax tweeted in response.

A Halifax spokesperson told Insider in an email: "We want to create a safe and accepting environment that opens the conversation around gender identity. We care about our customers' and colleagues' individual preferences so, for us, it's a very simple solution to accidental misgendering."

The spokesperson told Insider that having pronouns on the badge is optional for staff.

HSBC bank, which launched a similar initiative in January, tweeted in support of Halifax: "We stand with and support any bank or organization that joins us in taking this positive step forward for equality and inclusion. It's vital that everyone can be themselves in the workplace."