Pronouns in PBC email signatures
Why do staff choose to share pronouns in their email signatures?
One of the Center’s core tenets is that we strive to create a diverse, inclusive environment.
As an organization that both works with and employs diverse individuals, the Center feels strongly about the ability of everyone in our community to feel comfortable being themselves, inclusive of gender identity and gender expression.
Staff who choose to share their pronouns let others know how they wish to be referred to and removes the need for others to speculate, guess, or ask which pronouns a staff member uses.
Why should we share pronouns in the workplace?
Society has traditionally taught most of us to assign a binary gender (male or female) upon meeting or corresponding with someone. However, in doing so, we assume a person’s gender identity without knowledge or understanding if our assumption is correct (meaning aligned with that person’s gender identity). Sharing pronouns is a way to circumvent this practice and affirm all gender identities, and helps to normalize conversations about gender identity.
It’s all about respect
While sharing pronouns (as people are comfortable) is a first step toward greater inclusivity, people who feel comfortable sharing pronouns may not feel comfortable sharing other details about themselves. With that in mind, it is never appropriate to ask questions about people’s bodies or anatomy, their romantic status, their potential former names, or why/how they know they are a certain gender, etc. unless someone invites you to ask.
Additionally, if you accidentally misgender someone, refer to someone by a name they no longer use, etc., it is generally appreciated and appropriate to apologize to that person, and to affirm your commitment to using the person’s correct name/pronouns going forward.
