PRONOUNS: WHAT ARE THEY AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?
With pronoun usage becoming more of a hot topic in recent years, here are some of the most important things to know about this important part of the English language.
What is a pronoun? A pronoun is a word used to refer to someone by replacing the use of their name. In our current political landscape, when people refer to the issue of ‘pronouns’ they are referring to personal pronouns. Personal pronouns include all of the words that describe a person, their gender, their number, and their case, including he, she, it, I, you, we, they, them, us, and me.
How do we typically use pronouns? Pronouns are a part of language that every single person uses hundreds of times a day when referring to the people around them. In English, we tend to associate certain pronouns with certain genders, including he/him typically associated with men and she/her typically associated with women. For those who don’t align with the identity of man or woman, they/them has been popularized as a gender neutral pronoun option. Pronouns are how we most commonly expect people to acknowledge our gender identity.
Why is this important? Because pronouns are one of the most common ways that gender identity is acknowledged in the English language, it is disrespectful and hurtful when the wrong pronouns are used to describe someone. Imagine how it would feel if someone consistently chose to refer to you using pronouns that you felt were inaccurate to your identity.
How can you be respectful in your pronoun usage? Create opportunities for people to share their pronouns. A great way to do this is to introduce yourself using your own pronouns; this can break the ice and show the people around you that there is at least one other safe person. If you don’t know someone’s pronouns, it is completely fine to politely ask them. When learning someone’s pronouns it is not uncommon to slip up; that’s okay! Simply apologize, correct yourself, and move on. There is no need to make a scene or give a grandiose apology, as that can actually be counterproductive and make the situation awkward for everyone. Additionally, if you notice someone misgendering someone else, gently correct their mistake. It can quickly become exhausting when transgender/gender non-conforming people have to constantly correct people who are misgendering them, and if you are the one to speak up for them, it will likely make their day.