Within the LGBTTQQIAAP+ community Gender Pronouns are very important to many
A word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g., I, you) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g., she, it, this).
Why is it important to respect a person’s Gender pronoun?
How can we assume what someone’s pronouns are just by looking at them? What a privilege we have to believe that we can just assume how someone identifies. It truly is a privilege to not have to say my pronouns or worry about whether or not someone is going to use the correct pronouns for me. Respecting all people is a huge step in healing our world and we can do this by asking and correctly using someone’s pronouns. Imagine being disrespected because someone doesn’t understand you or like you just because of who you are. It doesn’t feel good nor is it acceptable, so when someone is referred to with the wrong pronoun, it can make them feel disrespected and not validated.
We have to watch where we have privilege in all areas otherwise it can be oppressive to others who do not have that privilege.
How do I ask someone about what Pronouns do they use?
Just like you ask someone, “What is your name”, try asking them: “What pronouns do you use?” As I mentioned earlier, assumptions are not good and they can be harmful to that person in front of you. So even though it might seem awkward at first, it’s worth trying to get it right the very first time.
What if I make a mistake?
As with anything in life we make mistakes. It is a natural part of human existence. We are not perfect beings so with that there is a chance that you will make a mistake when seeking to identify someone by the correct pronoun. Here is the thing: If you recognize that a mistake was made after you have said it, hopefully, human nature will step in and you will apologize, use the correct language and move on.
A huge mistake when trying to correct your wrong is having the desire to prolong the conversation about how bad you feel that you made a mistake. This is not wise to do because what could end up happening is that the person who was identified incorrectly could now began to feel like they have to now comfort you and that is not fair to them.
Ted Talks Video
How to talk and listen to transgender people By Jackson Bird. VIEW VIDEO
