What You Need to Know About Pronouns
Sharing pronouns on campus, in meetings and online, has become increasingly visible. This guide will help you understand why it is important, and how you can participate in this inclusive practice.
Want to Learn More?
What are Pronouns?
Pronouns are used to replace a noun or noun phrase, and "personal pronouns" such as she, her, and hers are the ones people will share with others when you first meet.
Why are they important?
Sharing pronouns helps to avoid assuming which pronouns people use, and thus averts intentional or unintentional harm or disrespect.
To share or not to share?
If you are comfortable doing so, sharing pronouns normalizes this inclusive practice. It is not recommended to require someone to share their pronouns because people may not be ready to share.
Ways to Share
You can share pronouns when you first meet someone, in your email signature, in your Zoom settings, in your personal bio or website: "I use he, him & his pronouns"
Examples
He, him, his
She, her, hers
They, them, theirs
Ve, ver, vis
Xi, xir, xirs
Some tips
- Practice using gender-neutral language
- Don't assume someone's pronouns
- When in doubt, ask or use "they"
- Unlearn gendered phrases, such as "you guys"