Feeling empowered, feeling safe, and belonging? Isn’t that what we all want? It’s so key to building communities. Through educating ourselves and others around pronouns we can really make a difference to people. So let’s do this.
What are Pronouns and why are they important? Using someone's correct pronouns helps create an inclusive environment. It signals that the person matters to you. By offering your pronouns, you can become a better ally supporting gender identity and sexual orientation.
Here are some commonly used pronouns
How do we make pronouns a part of day to day life? Here are some tips for using pronouns:
- GET SOCIAL - Social Identity: Add pronouns to email, text, social media, etc.
- INTRODUCE YOURSELF - When introducing yourself, include your pronouns. This encourages others to do the same.
- ASK AWAY - Ask, don’t assume - Remember that pronouns reflect a person's gender identity. Unless they have shared their preferred pronoun, it’s always a good idea to ask.
- GO NEUTRAL - Use Gender Neutral Language - Instead of saying “Ladies and Gentlemen” or “Hey Guys”, try using gender neutral greetings like “Hi Folks” or “Hi Y'all”.
- PRACTICE - New to using they/them or ze? As with many other learned behaviours, practice is key.
- LEARN & MOVE ON - If you make a mistake and mis-gender someone in referencing them incorrectly - apologise, learn and do better the next time.
Simple changes, plus practice, concerted effort and curiosity, can make all the difference in creating and building an inclusive culture.
Be the change you want to see.
We are partnering with clients globally to progress their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work. To find out more message me: kendra@remarkably.co
