Be Proud of your Pronouns

Following the examples that have been set in other parts of the higher education sector and in businesses across the country, we are encouraging everyone across the university to proudly display their pronouns.

Displaying your pronouns is a voluntary choice that can go a long way to ensure that your colleagues and students feel safe and respected while at Beds. Together we can break down the stigma around gender identity and help everyone feel safe and secure in their work and studies.

If you’re not comfortable sharing your pronouns or don’t want to display them that’s completely fine. No one should feel pressured to share them if they don’t want to or don’t feel comfortable.

If you want to have a chat about pronouns or wanted further support and advice please contact the LGBT Network here: LGBTQAlliance@beds.ac.uk.

What are pronouns?

Pronouns are the words we use instead of a noun, such as ‘He/Him’, ‘She/Her’ with gender neutral pronouns being They/Them.

Everyone uses pronouns that are based on their personal gender identity, as they help to express their identity to others and inform others as to how they should refer to them.

Transgender and non-binary people have gender identities that differ to those that were assigned at birth, so they will often use the pronouns that most align with their gender identity or they wish to use.

People regardless of gender identity may use one set of pronouns such as She/Her or may be comfortable with using a mixture such as He/They, She/Him, She/They, etc.

You can’t always know what someone’s pronouns are just by looking at them, so it’s a good idea to ask what someone’s pronouns are so that you can properly respect their gender identity.

Why is it important to use the correct pronouns?

Asking and correctly using someone’s pronouns is a way to respect someone’s gender identity and make them feel included and respected.

What are the benefits of publically sharing your pronouns?

Making your pronouns publically visible goes a long way to making Transgender and non-binary people feel safe to be themselves and accepted within our environment.

Many people never have to think about their pronouns or the pronouns they use and just take them as given. For Transgender and non-binary people pronouns are an important part of their gender identity and they can feel invalidated and embarrassed if the wrong ones are used. Additionally, the process of revealing their pronouns can be difficult and upsetting if done within a hostile environment.

By choosing to make our pronouns visible it helps to break the stigma that Transgender and non-binary people face when choosing to share their gender identity. If everyone shares their own pronouns we can create a more positive and welcoming environment that includes everyone.

Remember that you can’t always know what someone’s pronouns are just by looking at them, so by having your pronouns visible it prevents any opportunities for accidental misgendering.

Using They/Them pronouns

They/Them are gender-neutral pronouns that many people use in place of pronouns like He/Him and She/Her. They are used to refer to a singular person without assuming or implying gender.

Using They/Them pronouns can be a bit of an adjustment if you feel that you are not used to using the singular They/Them. However, you probably use them more than you think. It’s normal English to use They/Them when you don’t know the gender of the person you’re referring to.

Think about times when you’ve talked about a delivery person, without thinking about it you’ve probably said something like ‘have they dropped the parcel round?’, ‘when do you think they’ll be here’, etc.

Some more examples:

• ‘He said he’d be late to work today’ – ‘They said they’d be late to work today’
• ‘I spoke to her the other day’ – ‘I spoke to them the other day'

How do I ask for someone’s pronouns or share my own?

Sharing pronouns doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be a part of your introduction during a meeting or just an addition to your email signature.

During a meeting you may choose to introduce yourself by saying your name and pronouns. E.g. ‘I’m …. And my pronouns are He/Him’ or ‘Hi, I’m …. And I use they/them pronouns’. This not only informs everyone at the meeting about how to refer to you, but it also opens the door for others to share as well. Remember that you can’t assume someone’s pronouns, so introducing your own pronouns can help break the ice and encourage others to share as well.

Try not to single out one person when asking about pronouns, ask everyone.

You can also easily add your pronouns to your email signature either by adding them next to your name or underneath. This allows anyone receiving an email from you to know how to refer to you.

What if I accidentally get someone’s pronouns wrong?

Everyone makes mistakes and slips up from time to time so don’t panic! If you accidentally get someone’s pronouns wrong the best thing to do is to just quickly apologise.

Don’t make a bigger deal of the mistake than needed as this may further embarrass the person you’re apologising to. It’s best to just address the mistake, apologise and move on and try to use the correct pronoun in future.