Elevator speech — deadnaming and misgendering

I was recently asked to record an “elevator speech”, a short presentation to deliver a message with some impact. The topic I was l given was to explain why misgendering and deadnaming are considered to be harmful. One minute…

I tried the ‘start with why’ approach to grab attention, addressing the ‘why’ behind the need to use correct pronouns and names for the people they encounter through it’s emotional impact. The correct use of pronouns and meaning of “deadname” were presented separately, as part of a broader training.

Here’s what I came up with:

“A transgender person takes on a significant challenge in recognizing that they have a gender identity not matching what society insists they should be. Being dead named or misgendered, even if unintentional, hurts. It declares that their identity isn’t real, that we’ve been just humoring them, and their lived experience means nothing.

It hurts. It strikes like a hammer blow. Being deadnamed in the pharmacy or misgendered by a receptionist is humiliating, shakes one to the core, and brings a downward spiral of self-doubt for days.

Oh, but when we get it right, there’s joy. That simple affirmation, their name said, their gender seen, is tremendously positive. With this simple act, we affirm that we see them, their dignity, and we respect them. We build trust, with ourselves and our organization. They see this space not with apprehension but a sense of safety.”

The recording: https://youtu.be/MD8twgSDhxU