Pronouns lgbtq explained

Pronouns


A Guide to Pronoun Usage

What are pronouns?

Pronouns are used to refer to someone, and usually communicate information about someone’s gender. For example, if we say, “I wonder if she knows she left her water bottle in the classroom,” we would assume the person identifies as a woman. 

Why are pronouns important and what is misgendering?

Because pronouns indicate gender, and people often assume gender based on someone’s appearance, we sometimes employ the incorrect arrange of pronouns. When we use a set of pronouns that indicate the wrong gender, that is known as misgendering someone. For example, we might say “he,” when the person uses “she,” or we might say “hers” instead of “theirs.” When this happens to a transsexual person it can be unsettling, invalidating, and dehumanizing. If it happens over and over, or is being done on purpose or maliciously, it is an act of oppression against gender non-conforming people. 

What if I am being misgendered?

The University supports trans and nonbinary identities and has policies in place to address misgendering. The Pride Office can also provide students educational resources and support. If you are a scholar experiencing repeat
pronouns lgbtq explained

Pronouns & Inclusive Language

Below is a brief overview of pronouns and inclusive language. This is by no means an exhaustive guide to treating transitioned people equitably. 

What are pronouns?

Pronouns are linguistic tools that we use to allude to people (i.e.they/them/theirs, she/her/hers, he/him/his). We believe that it is important to give people the opportunity to state the pronoun that is correct to use when referring to them.

Pronouns are integral to who we are, and we share pronouns because we want to evade assuming someone's pronouns based on factors like appearance. By sharing our own pronouns routinely, we encourage others to do the similar and demonstrate that we understand the importance of sharing pronouns. Using someone’s fix pronouns is an crucial way of affirming someone’s identity and is a fundamental step in creature an ally.

Common pronouns contain she/her/hers, he/him/his, and they/them/theirs. There are other nonbinary pronouns. It is essential to ask people what their pronouns are. If you have questions, politely ask the person if they feel comfortable giving examples of how to use those pronouns.

Examples of Pronouns:

(This is NOT an

What’s a pronoun?

You may be unfamiliar with the pos “pronoun,” but you utilize them all the time! Pronouns are used in place of a proper noun (like someone’s name). We use pronouns most often when referring to someone without using their name.

Example: Have you heard from Tom? He hasn’t texted me back all day. He is the pronoun.

Why does it matter?

In English, our most commonly used pronouns (he/she) specifically refer to a person’s gender. For queer, gender non-conforming, non-binary, and trans person people, these pronouns may not fit, can produce discomfort, and can lead to stress and anxiety.

A recent study showed that in transgender youth, using amend pronouns and names reduces depression and suicide risks.

Having trouble understanding why this would upset someone? Contemplate about your pronoun (it’s probably “he” or “she”). Now imagine someone calling you the one you don’t think of yourself as. Imagine them doing it over and over and over, even after you’ve corrected them.

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Pronouns

Pronouns

You may have noticed that some people on campus share their pronouns when they introduce themselves or include their pronouns with their name in an email or on their name tag? This is happening to make our campus more inclusive of everyone from all genders. One way you can do this is to share your pronouns. Favor names, pronouns are an important part of how we identify that deserves to be respected. And we recognize that assuming someone’s gender can be hurtful, especially to members of our community who are transgender, genderqueer, or gender expansive.

If this is new to you, don’t worry. As a society, we are all education together about the importance of pronouns and creature better allies to the trans communities on campus. We hope that you’ll join us in striving for inclusion and respect—because at Binghamton University, we welcome all. Including pronouns is a first step toward respecting people's gender identity and being a welcoming place for all.


Here’s a guide on what pronouns are, why they matter, and how to use new ones and support your trans friends! This video was written, filmed, and edited by Minus18.


Pronoun Etiquette

Pronouns reach in

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s okay! Everyone slips up from time to time. The foremost thing to perform if you employ the wrong pronoun for someone is to say something right away, love “Sorry, I meant (insert pronoun)”.

If you realize your mistake after the proof, apologize in personal and move on.

A lot of the time it can be tempting to go on and on about how bad you sense that you messed up or how hard it is for you to get it right. Please don’t! It is inappropriate and makes the person who was misgendered sense awkward and responsible for comforting you, which is absolutely not their job.

Taking an active role in your classes, you may hear one of your students using the improper pronoun for someone. In most cases, it is appropriate to gently accurate them without further embarrassing the individual who has been misgendered. This means saying something appreciate “Alex uses the pronoun she,” and then moving on. If other students or faculty are consistently using the erroneous pronouns for someone, do not omit it! It is important to permit your student recognize that you are their ally.

It may be appropriate to approach them and say something love “I noticed that you were getting referred t