Can a PhD (Or a doctorate or an MD) choose to use a gendered title instead of Dr? For example, suppose an AFAB PhD comes out as a trans man. Is he allowed to use Mister to affirm his gender? Or is he stuck in the gender neutral Doctor zone forever? Does he have to get knighted by the British monarchy in order to get a masculine title?
I don’t know for sure but for me, if I spent 10 years in college, and two or three years in an internship, working 15 hours a day, sometimes 20 or 30 hours straight with no sleep, I would think that having the doctor title is something I worked hard to earn.
Most PhD’s in university actually prefer to be called by their first name. As a graduate student, one of the most jarring culture shocks is to learn to call professors by their first names. At least that’s the case in the US, not sure about elsewhere
I see, that’s interesting. I didn’t know that.
Transitioning is also a grueling process. Drag has a degree and drag is more proud of drag’s body than of the piece of paper. It might be different for postgraduate, drag is in the process of finding out. Drag is worried about becoming a doctor and losing the choice to use a different title if drag wants. Right now drag would rather be Dr than Mx, but drag doesn’t want to lose options in case a better option comes along later.
Generally, getting certifications/memberships gives you more options for honorifics, not fewer; you get to use any that are appropriate.
And for instance, if someone has a PhD and an MDiv, they can go by Reverend, Doctor, Reverend Doctor or Mx, and they’re all appropriate; it all depends on context and what you’re trying to communicate.
So Doctor Drag (he/him) is appropriate, as is Mx Drag, PhD.
Thank you, although it felt very uncomfortable for drag to read he/him pronouns for dragself. Drag transitioned to get away from he/him, the example in the post body is just an example of some imaginary doctor. Drag’s pronouns are drag/dragself, and drag’s name is not drag. Drag’s name is Dragon “Rider”.
I just realised Dr. could work as a shortened version of Drag, so you could think of your future title as “Drag Firstname Lastname”.
I would hope that you have the freedom to use whatever title you want to.