But it's not a political statement. Most people I talk to over this never ever mentioned doing this because of politics. They are doing it for themselves.
You think it is as political statement. And that is your opinion. But it is only YOUR opinion. I think your mind is distorted by the US politics around this. Outside of the US, nobody cares.
Pronouns are a matter of controversy outside the United States too. In the UK, a teacher was dismissed¹ over his refusal to use pronouns that he disagreed with. In Ireland, a teacher got into a dispute² with his school over their policies on pronouns and transsexualism. (Admittedly, other issues were also mixed into that affair.) I expect that I could find many, many examples all over the English-speaking world.
