June is the month for celebrating diversity in love, sexuality, and gender expression. In addition to being a month of celebration, Pride Month is also an opportunity to grow your knowledge on how to create inclusive spaces at work and in your community.
One way that we can create inclusive spaces is to respect the gender identity of others by learning their preferred pronouns and using them.
There are many pronoun sets that you may hear or see, including – but not limited to:
Using a person’s preferred pronouns helps validate and affirm who that person is and doesn’t exclude or harm them. Some ways to ensure this are:
- Use a gender neutral pronoun set (they, them, theirs) until you clarify what their preferred pronouns are.
- Don’t be afraid to ask that person what their preferred pronouns are. Most times, people will appreciate your effort to learn what preferred pronouns they use.
- Be actively aware if you’re using a person’s preferred pronouns. If you make a mistake and use the wrong pronouns, try to commit to correcting yourself when referring to them again.