Understanding Gender pronouns

Many companies have recently added pronouns (i.e. he/him, she/her, they/them) to email signatures and social media biographies, which tells everyone that you are not going to assume their gender.

It’s a small but easy way to be more inclusive and normalise discussions surrounding gender. In particular, it allows transgender and non-binary people to let others know which pronouns they’d like to be used, and therefore avoids them being misgendered.

If you are cisgender (your gender identity matches the sex you were assigned at birth), having your pronouns in your email signature or online bio shows that you are an ally to trans and non-binary people, and also that you don’t make assumptions about anyone’s gender.

Hey/them pronouns are considered gender neutral and are often used for someone who might not identify as strictly male or female like the pop star Sam Smith. Chaines, who was nominated for Outstanding Act at the Youth Music Awards, uses they/them pronouns. It’s worth noting that someone’s gender identity (the gender they identify as internally) doesn’t always align with their gender expression (how they look).

Anyone working with young people, as those born after 1996 are more likely than nay other generation to have fluidity in gender identity. If someone lets you know the pronouns they’d like you to use to refer to them, please be respectful of this. And if you’re unsure when you first meet someone, it’s ok to ask!

Everyone slips up from time to time say sorry I meant (insert pronoun. If you realise your mistake after the fact apologise in private and move on.