Pronouns for Inclusion
This post is co-authored by my colleague Orla Cullen.
You may have noticed colleagues or friends putting their pronouns in their email signature or their social profiles. At a conference or meetup, you may have been asked to put your pronouns on your name badge. But what does this mean and what is the purpose of it? I hope I can share some information and perhaps even convince YOU to also share your pronouns.
What am I referring to?
When pronouns are shared in an email signature, the pronouns are normally included below the name or email. For example:
—
Sarah Cordivano
Pronouns: she/her
But first, what are your pronouns?
Your pronouns are the pronouns you would like to be addressed by. When someone refers to you but does not use your name, they talk about you in the third-person for example: “She wrote the book. The book is written by her.” Common pronouns are “she/her”, “he/him”, “they/their”, “ze/zir”. But there are many more. You may have never stopped to consider these pronouns before, but now is a good time.
Why are gender identity and pronouns important?
Gender identity is something that can often be invisible or unquestioned in the workplace. It’s largely assumed that a person is male or female by how they present themselves. However it is not always possible for a person to express themselves authentically in a work environment for a number of reasons, for example not feeling secure or supported by their colleagues. Therefore, it’s easy for others to consciously or subconsciously assign a gender to a person based on the way they look. (There will be many people that this will not affect as they identify with their birth gender.) But for those who don’t identify with their birth gender, this can lead to misgendering a person and invalidating their identity.
Along with our gender identity, we have a set of pronouns by which we would like to be addressed. The pronouns someone uses to communicate with others are an essential part of who they are as a person. It gets more complex as we consider gender as not strictly binary, we must also consider non-binary pronouns (for example they/them). Everyone of us has the possibility to identify with any pronoun. Because of this, I’d strongly recommend to not make an assumption about what pronoun someone uses based on how they look. When a person shares their pronouns in an email signature or when introducing themself, they are telling you “when you refer to me, please do it in this way.”
Why should YOU share your pronouns?
There are a few key reasons to share your pronouns as part of your email signature or social profiles.
- If you are part of the genderqueer or transgender community it allows you to develop a more authentic working relationships with colleagues as you are bringing your whole self into your job.
- If you are not part of the genderqueer or transgender community, you can still put your pronouns in your email signature because it creates an inclusive environment where others feel freer to share their pronouns.
- It tells those who do belong to the transgender and genderqueer communities that you have thought about gender and its complexity and you are open and supportive to being approached about this topic.
- It challenges others to look at their own unconscious biases and assumptions about gender and pronouns which creates awareness and normalizes differences in gender identities.
- By being supportive in this very small way, it says you care about inclusion, and as a result, you become more approachable in other areas to do with diversity such as mental health, equality, and discrimination.
Learning & Using the pronouns of your colleagues.
The same way you learn someone’s name, you should take the time to learn, remember and use their pronouns. It is part of their identity and it shows them respect and consideration to take the effort to address them in the way they like.
If you are unsure of a person’s pronouns, the best thing to do is ask. When it comes to diversity and inclusion in the workplace, there is always a fear from some colleagues that they will use the wrong pronouns. Its ok to get it wrong, we are all learning. The most important thing is that we try to be respectful and considerate of each other’s identity and how they would like to be referred to. If someone corrects you, learn from the experience and remember for next time.
Further Reading
Terminology and Definitions for Gender Identity
Answers To Your Questions About Transgender People, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression
TRANS@MIT Allies Toolkit, Action Tips for Allies of Trans People
Supporting Transgender Inclusion In The Workplace: Guidelines for Employers and Employees
https://pronouns.org/
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