Scott Shay, chairman of Signature Bank, hosted a seminar on “Know Your Pronouns” last October where employees received instruction on proper use of pronouns like “Ze” or “Hir”.

After regulators took over the bank on Sunday, the video of the seminar was uploaded to Signature Bank’s YouTube channel in December.

Shay was accompanied by Finn Brigham, a Manhattan-based corporate consulate for gender issues. Finn Brigham was described during the symposium as a “genderqueer trans male person”, according to the New York Post.

Signature Bank’s “Social Impact Series” included the lecture “Know Your Pronouns”.

Shay opened the seminar by claiming that Signature Bank was the “first bank in the United States with an openly homosexual man on its board.” This reference is to former Rep. Barney Frank (D–MA), who co-sponsored legislation to regulate banks following the 2008 financial crisis.

Brigham was seen going through a list with the following pronouns at one point: she, hers and he, theirs, they, them and hir.

Brigham stated that “she” and “he” are the most commonly used pronouns. I don’t know if Signature Bank has anyone like that, but you probably have clients who use ‘they/’ them as pronouns. They are gender-neutral pronouns for this purpose.

Brigham stated that “Ze” is another gender-neutral pronoun. Brigham claimed that the other half of this would be “hir” — also spelled HI-R.

Signature Bank’s annual Social Impact Report promoted sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion as part of its efforts to promote employee safety and health, and other initiatives that are related to the environment, governance, or social.