Hi friends! This article is definitely more serious in comparison to the previous articles I have written this semester. I will be talking about pronouns today. Pronouns are a very important subject to me. They are important to me because although I have not found the perfect label to associate with my gender identity, I do identify with she/they pronouns. It is really complicated and difficult to put into words, which is perfectly okay because gender identity can be a confusing topic. I am comfortable with being referred to as a woman, but I would rather much be viewed as a human being (that explains why I use they/them pronouns as well). I personally feel as though when I am called a woman, I am being judged based on my genitals and not judged based on what is inside of my heart. On top of my personal beliefs, pronouns are also a subject that I have been concerned about lately. I have noticed many individuals not respecting other individuals’ pronouns. I have also noticed individuals not even knowing what pronouns are or why they are important. That is why I wanted to speak about the importance of pronouns.
To begin with, you may be wondering, what are pronouns? Pronouns are words that refer to a person you may be speaking about. Moreover, pronouns are commonly used to replace proper nouns (names) in sentences. So, as an example, instead of saying, “Alyssa is eating a slice of pizza,” you can say, “She is eating a slice of pizza.”
While there is an abundance of pronouns, here is a list of some common pronouns:
-She/Her/Hers
-He/Him/His
-They/Them/Theirs
-Xe/Xem/Xyrs
-Ve/Ver/Vis
-Ze/Hir/Hirs
-She/Her/Hers and They/Them/Theirs
-He/Him/His and They/Them Theirs
-He/Him/His and She/Her/Hers
Why are pronouns important? In your class, you may have noticed that your professors will ask you what your pronouns are during icebreakers. This is because you cannot always assume someone’s gender identity or pronouns by just looking at them. Having someone share their pronouns is the first step to respecting all gender identities as well as pronouns. Providing the space for individuals to share pronouns provides comfort and acceptance of all pronouns and gender identities.
Additionally, identifying someone with the wrong pronouns can truly hurt their feelings and make them feel disrespected. This is known as misgendering. Misgendering is labeling an individual a gender and an identity which they are not. That is why it is important to ask for an individual’s pronouns. Mistakes definitely happen at times, but it is also important to correct those mistakes. If you mistakenly misgender someone, apologize for your mistake and repeat your sentence with the correct usage of pronouns.
Furthermore, it is truly a privilege not to worry about what pronoun someone calls you as a cisgender individual. That is why it is also important to show your support in any way, whether that be including your pronouns in your social media biography, employee nametag, emails, etc.
I hope this article truly helped you learn more about what pronouns are and why they are important. Please use this information in your everyday life because it will lower the number of people being misgendered. Thank you!