Transgender Awareness Week: The power of inclusive language
Transgender Awareness Week is an opportunity to bring attention to the trans community while educating others on the issues that they face, and how allyship can help. As Equality Champion for Gender Reassignment at 91吃瓜网, I can see that many people want to learn, but might be scared of saying something wrong, or are not sure how to best nurture a community that is inclusive of all gender identities.
This is why I want to shine a light on inclusive language this Transgender Awareness Week, to make sure that everyone has the tools to create a safe environment at work, and beyond.
The universal issue of inclusive language
I would like to start by saying that pronouns are not just a trans issue, but a universal concept that is important for everyone to understand. I鈥檓 sure we all know at least one person who says that they 鈥渄on鈥檛 have pronouns鈥� or 鈥渄on鈥檛 use pronouns鈥�. This is completely nonsensical as, if this was the case, they simply would not be able to put a sentence together. Since the start of this article, I have used ten pronouns, and not one sentence was missing one. 鈥淚鈥�, 鈥測ou鈥�, 鈥渉e鈥�, 鈥渟he鈥�, 鈥渙ur鈥�, 鈥渢hey鈥�, and 鈥渋t鈥� are all pronouns, and it would be a grammatical hellscape to try to communicate without them.
Moreover, while trans people, and even more so non-binary individuals, are more likely to be misgendered, it can also happen to cisgender individuals. If you are unfamiliar with a specific name, for example if someone is from a different country, there is a high chance that you will not be able to associate their name with a specific gender. This highlights that using inclusive language is something that all of us can benefit from.
Using the correct pronouns is basic respect, just like using someone鈥檚 correct name. At work, I sometimes see my name being misspelled in emails. It鈥檚 usually the typical 鈥淐laire鈥� or 鈥淐lare鈥�, which is not far off from 鈥淐lara鈥�, but it still bothers me a bit. I know it is most likely a mistake, but at the same time, my name is my identity, and I feel more valued when people spell it correctly. The same goes for pronouns, especially as it has been shown time and time again that misgendering trans and non-binary people can be deeply detrimental to their mental health.
Using the correct pronouns
If you鈥檙e not sure about someone鈥檚 pronouns, don鈥檛 be scared to ask, and default to using they/them until you know for sure what their preference is. Make sure to talk to them in private and ask, 鈥淲hat pronouns do you use?鈥� or 鈥淲hat pronouns would you like me to use when I talk about you?鈥�. If you are a cisgender person and someone refers to you as 鈥渢hey/them鈥�, don鈥檛 feel offended, that means they are trying to make sure they don鈥檛 misgender you. You can let them know your preferred pronouns as well, even if you are not trans or non-binary.
If you feel like you鈥檙e struggling with using someone鈥檚 correct pronouns, practice at home! It鈥檚 not silly to rehearse in front of your mirror or during conversations with a family member, this will help you get more comfortable and prevent you from making recurring mistakes. In the workplace, always proofread your emails before sending them. You can even use the following hack: do a quick 鈥淐TRL+F鈥� on your email draft and search for incorrect pronouns to ensure there are none in there.
And remember that everyone makes mistakes. As long as you are not deliberately misgendering someone, you can always make amends and correct yourself. The one thing to keep in mind is to quickly and clearly apologise if you misgender someone, for example by using the wrong pronouns. But be genuinely sorry. Saying that you鈥檙e sorry they 鈥渇eel upset鈥� is not an apology. In the same vein, don鈥檛 make it about yourself. Even if you feel bad about what happened, make sure you consider their emotions first. Once you have apologised, move on and try not to make this happen again, as repeated mishaps can take a toll on someone鈥檚 mental health. And if you notice a colleague or friend misgendering someone else, do let them know without judgement, and in private of course to avoid putting them on the spot.
Leading by example
The burden of sharing pronouns shouldn鈥檛 fall only on trans and non-binary people. Cisgender individuals can highlight allyship and create safer and more inclusive environments by sharing their pronouns with others. Here are a few ways you can do so:
- Add your pronouns next to your name in your signature. For example, First Name Last name (subject pronoun/object pronoun). So, mine would be Clara Sutherland-Maurillon (she/her). Many social platforms have also added a feature that can let you add pronouns next to your name on your profile.
- Share what pronouns you go by after introducing yourself in meetings. It might feel a little awkward at first, but the more you do it, the more normalised it will be for you and other colleagues you collaborate with.
- Wear a pronoun pin on your lanyard. We have been distributing pronoun pins at 91吃瓜网 during past awareness events which some of our staff have been proudly wearing.
Gender inclusive language in a group environment
Just like when you鈥檙e addressing an individual, try not to generalise or make assumptions about the people you are talking to in a group setting. Avoid familiar pitfalls such as 鈥渉ello guys鈥�. Our grammar lessons have taught us that 鈥済uy鈥� is singular for a man so, by extension, the term 鈥済uys鈥� refers to a group of men. As such, this term is not gender-neutral and is not an appropriate way to refer to a diverse group of people. Doing so could make women and non-binary people feel excluded from the conversation. And even if you are talking to a group of people that you perceive as being all men, don鈥檛 assume they all identify as such. So, the best course of action is to avoid gendered vocabulary all together.
Practice using more inclusive terms such as 鈥渆veryone鈥�, 鈥渢eam鈥�, 鈥渟tudents鈥�, or 鈥渃olleagues鈥�. You could even go for a cheesier approach and choose to say: 鈥渉ello lovely people鈥� or 鈥済ood morning wonderful humans鈥�. The world is your oyster, so use your creativity to find new ways to address people!
91吃瓜网 and the LGBTQIA+ Action Group
With my Action Group, I raise awareness of and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community at 91吃瓜网. Any staff member can become part of the group to help us in our mission. Join now:
Also remember that 91吃瓜网 provides further support and has a dedicated Transgender Equality Policy as well as the Dignity at 91吃瓜网 Policy which ensures that everyone gets treated with respect and free of discrimination.
