International Pronouns Day - 19 October 2022
Jess Mitchell
Advocate | Inclusion | Diversity | Equity | Accessibility | Disability | LGBTIQA+ | Epilepsy | Lived experience
Today is International Pronouns Day.
The purpose of #InternationalPronounsDay is to make educating, respecting and sharing personal pronouns commonplace.
If you do nothing else today, please check out the following video, Are Pronouns important to the LGBTIQ+ community
Why should I care about pronouns?
In English, whether we realize it or not, people often refer to us using pronouns when speaking about us. Often, when speaking of a singular human in the third person, these pronouns have a gender implied. For example, “he” to refer to a man/boy or “she” to refer to a woman/girl. These associations are not always accurate or helpful.
Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity.
Using the right pronouns to refer to a person can be one of the easiest ways to:
On the flipside, using the wrong pronouns to refer to someone can be quite harmful even if it is accidental or unintentional. This is called 'misgendering'.
What's misgendering?
Misgendering means using language to refer to someone that does not match that person’s gender. Not using a person’s pronouns is a form of bullying and hurts because it tells the person that you don’t respect them. Misgendering can happen by genuine mistake. This happens particularly if the person has only recently affirmed their gender. It may take a while for people to stop using the old pronouns and name.
How do I know someone's pronouns?
You cannot tell what pronouns people use by looking at them. Asking and correctly using someone's pronouns is one of the most basic ways to show your respect for gender identity.
Furthermore, there are lots of other gender-neutral pronouns. They can take a bit of getting used to, but it’s important to use the right ones. If you’re not sure, politely ask.
What if I make a mistake?
People may worry that they will offend or be embarrassed if they use the wrong term, name or pronoun, particularly for trans and gender diverse people. It’s important to try to use respectful language and some mistakes are understandable, particularly when you are learning. If you make a mistake, apologise promptly and move on. Don’t dwell on it, and don’t give up – keep trying to get it right
How can I show my support?
Also wearing your rainbow lanyard helps to show support for the LGBTIQ+ community.
More information: