PREFERRED GENDER PRONOUNS: A QUICK OVERVIEW
WHAT IS A PREFERRED GENDER PRONOUN?
A preferred gender pronoun (PGP) is a third-person pronoun that an individual prefers others to use to reflect their gender (or lack thereof).
WHY ARE PREFERRED GENDER PRONOUNS IMPORTANT?
PGPs help promote the inclusion and equity of transgender and/or gender non-conforming people.
A person’s pronouns may not always be what you assume them to be. Asking for and/or volunteering your preferred gender pronouns is a way to signal support and acceptance for transgender and/or gender non-conforming people.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF A PERSON’S PREFERRED GENDER PRONOUNS ARE THEY / THEM / THEIRS?
Not everybody identifies as male or female. In fact, there are many ways outside of the traditional gender binary that people can identify.
Often, a person who identifies as outside of the gender binary will prefer they / them / their pronouns in the singular form (and yes, it is grammatically correct).
HOW CAN I SIGNAL MY PREFERRED GENDER PRONOUNS?
There are many ways to signal your preferred gender pronouns. Some common ways are below:
in your email signature
Put your pronouns somewhere in your email signature. You can even link to this page if you think people in your network might not know what PGPs are.
DURING INTRODUCTIONS
Mention your PGPs the first time you introduce yourself to others. Best case, it promotes inclusion for the person you meet who knows what PGPs are. Worst case, you get to teach someone about how to be more gender-inclusive.
on name tags
If you find yourself at an event where name tags are used, put your PGPs on the name tag—it is a great way to signal your PGPs and cultivate a conversation about gender inclusion for those who might know know what they are.
