In regular conversations, I subtly practice using words and phrases that keep me in the private and not in the public (government sphere or commerce/commercial). I used words that refer to a living man, not a person.
When asked for my “first” and “last” name, I say my given name is _____ and my family name is ______.
When asked, May I have your name? I reply that you may not have my name, but I can tell you my name.
What is my birthdate? Well, I was born on _______. [Ships are birthed/berthed.]
Where do I reside? I live on the land of ________ [name of state].
What is my zip? I don’t have a zip [and it’s not needed for mailing]
Am I a U.S. citizen? I am a citizen of _________ [name of state].
If I really want to get picky, I won’t use the pronoun ‘you’ [because it’s never singular] and instead use ‘thou’.
Is it legal? I don’t know, but it is lawful. [Legal refers to legislation of the legal society]
Am I a member of the public? No I’m private.
What is my name? _____ [given name] of the _______ [family name] [I don’t pair the given with the family name.]
How many persons reside in my household? Not sure. But X people live in my home.
Are you ______? No. Sorry. That’s not my person [persona].
Am I a member of society? Which society? The Legal society? No, I am not. Thanks.
Excuse me, Mr. _____? Please use my given name. Please do not use the title Mr. (or Ms.). [Mister is a military title.]
Are you from the United States? I’m from the United States of America.
From an email:
In a similar manner, I line out “male” on forms and write in “man”.
I also line out “signature” and write in “autograph“.
Please add examples in the comments!
VISIT:
LIVING IN THE PRIVATE (Best on a desktop)