That's funny, because pronouncing it with a hard g sounds just as silly to me.
And it's nothing like flat earth. The earth's shape is a matter of science and empiricism; there's a wealth of evidence confirming that it's spherical, and nothing credible suggests otherwise. Flat earther arguments are completely disingenuous; it even started as irony and anyone who believed it has serious defects. Even Aristotle knew the earth was round by the way a ship's mast appears on the horizon before the hull.
Pronunciation isn't a matter of empiricism. All language is a social construct. It wouldn't make sense for Brits and americans to argue over who pronounces a word the "correct" way. Even in america, people won't agree on words like "pecan" or "crayon."
But for some reason anyone who pronounces gif with a hard g has this really arrogant attitude towards anyone who pronounces it with a soft g. It's really weird.
