The Importance of Pronouns
You may have noticed an increase in the number of people including their personal pronouns in email signatures and social media bios, but what is a pronoun and why is it important?
A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun (a noun is a person, place, or thing). Personal pronouns can be linked to gender, such as he/him and she/her, or gender neutral, such as they/them. Some people choose to use their name as their pronoun.
You can’t always guess someone’s pronouns from the way they look which is why more people are choosing to share their personal pronouns both online and in person. Using someone’s preferred personal pronouns is a sign of respect and an easy way to be more inclusive. It is also helpful if cisgender people – those whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth – share their pronouns. Normalizing sharing pronouns supports members of the trans and non-binary communities who may otherwise be misgendered.
It only takes a minute to add your pronouns to your email signature or social media accounts – will you be an ally and share yours?
Author: Rainbow Blades Committee member, Katey Beeden