A Pronoun choice is often a much deeper part of ones identity than a preference.
What is a personal pronoun?
A “personal pronoun” is the pronoun that a person uses for themselves.
She, her, hers, He, him, his, They, them, theirs
- What are Non-Binary Pronouns? Why do we need Non-Binary Pronouns?
What are some examples of Non-Binary Pronouns?
Two sets of commonly used non-binary pronouns are below, along with their pronunciations and the gendered pronouns ‘he’ and ‘she’ for easy reference.
Give me some examples!
- She, her, hers
- He, him, his
- They, them, theirs (in the plural or singular)
- Ze or zie (pronounced like “Zee”), replaces she, he, they
- Hir/hirs (pronounced like “here”), replaces her/hers, him/his, or them/theirs
- Some people don’t use pronouns, and would like their names to be used instead (i.e. “Mel just left to go visit Mel’s parents.”)
Why is it important to respect people’s pronouns?
You can’t always know what someone’s pronoun is by looking at them.
Asking and correctly using someone’s pronoun is one of the most basic ways to show your respect for their gender identity.
When someone is referred to with the wrong pronoun, it can make them feel disrespected, invalidated, dismissed, alienated, or dysphoric (or, all the above.)
It is a privilege to not have to worry about which pronoun someone is going to use for you based on how they perceive your gender. If you have this privilege, yet fail to respect someone else’s gender identity, it is not only disrespectful and hurtful, but also oppressive.
https://lgbt.williams.edu/resources/trans-resources/pronouns/