Transgender Awareness Week: The power of inclusive language

Transgender Awareness Week is an opportunity to bring attention to the trans community while educating others on the issues that they face, and how allyship can help. As Equality Champion for Gender Reassignment at RGU, I can see that many people want to learn, but might be scared of saying something wrong, or are not sure how to best nurture a community that is inclusive of all gender identities.

This is why I want to shine a light on inclusive language this Transgender Awareness Week, to make sure that everyone has the tools to create a safe environment at work, and beyond. 

The universal issue of inclusive language

I would like to start by saying that pronouns are not just a trans issue, but a universal concept that is important for everyone to understand. I’m sure we all know at least one person who says that they “don’t have pronouns” or “don’t use pronouns”. This is completely nonsensical as, if this was the case, they simply would not be able to put a sentence together. Since the start of this article, I have used ten pronouns, and not one sentence was missing one. “I”, “you”, “he”, “she”, “our”, “they”, and “it” are all pronouns, and it would be a grammatical hellscape to try to communicate without them. 

Moreover, while trans people, and even more so non-binary individuals, are more likely to be misgendered, it can also happen to cisgender individuals. If you are unfamiliar with a specific name, for example if someone is from a different country, there is a high chance that you will not be able to associate their name with a specific gender. This highlights that using inclusive language is something that all of us can benefit from.

Using the correct pronouns is basic respect, just like using someone’s correct name. At work, I sometimes see my name being misspelled in emails. It’s usually the typical “Claire” or “Clare”, which is not far off from “Clara”, but it still bothers me a bit. I know it is most likely a mistake, but at the same time, my name is my identity, and I feel more valued when people spell it correctly. The same goes for pronouns, especially as it has been shown time and time again that misgendering trans and non-binary people can be deeply detrimental to their mental health. 

Using the correct pronouns

If you’re not sure about someone’s pronouns, don’t be scared to ask, and default to using they/them until you know for sure what their preference is. Make sure to talk to them in private and ask, “What pronouns do you use?” or “What pronouns would you like me to use when I talk about you?”. If you are a cisgender person and someone refers to you as “they/them”, don’t feel offended, that means they are trying to make sure they don’t misgender you. You can let them know your preferred pronouns as well, even if you are not trans or non-binary. 

If you feel like you’re struggling with using someone’s correct pronouns, practice at home! It’s not silly to rehearse in front of your mirror or during conversations with a family member, this will help you get more comfortable and prevent you from making recurring mistakes. In the workplace, always proofread your emails before sending them. You can even use the following hack: do a quick “CTRL+F” on your email draft and search for incorrect pronouns to ensure there are none in there. 

And remember that everyone makes mistakes. As long as you are not deliberately misgendering someone, you can always make amends and correct yourself. The one thing to keep in mind is to quickly and clearly apologise if you misgender someone, for example by using the wrong pronouns. But be genuinely sorry. Saying that you’re sorry they “feel upset” is not an apology. In the same vein, don’t make it about yourself. Even if you feel bad about what happened, make sure you consider their emotions first. Once you have apologised, move on and try not to make this happen again, as repeated mishaps can take a toll on someone’s mental health. And if you notice a colleague or friend misgendering someone else, do let them know without judgement, and in private of course to avoid putting them on the spot. 

Leading by example

The burden of sharing pronouns shouldn’t fall only on trans and non-binary people. Cisgender individuals can highlight allyship and create safer and more inclusive environments by sharing their pronouns with others. Here are a few ways you can do so: 

• Add your pronouns next to your name in your signature. For example, First Name Last name (subject pronoun/object pronoun). So, mine would be Clara Sutherland-Maurillon (she/her). Many social platforms have also added a feature that can let you add pronouns next to your name on your profile.
• Share what pronouns you go by after introducing yourself in meetings. It might feel a little awkward at first, but the more you do it, the more normalised it will be for you and other colleagues you collaborate with.
• Wear a pronoun pin on your lanyard. We have been distributing pronoun pins at RGU during past awareness events which some of our staff have been proudly wearing.  

Gender inclusive language in a group environment

Just like when you’re addressing an individual, try not to generalise or make assumptions about the people you are talking to in a group setting. Avoid familiar pitfalls such as “hello guys”. Our grammar lessons have taught us that “guy” is singular for a man so, by extension, the term “guys” refers to a group of men. As such, this term is not gender-neutral and is not an appropriate way to refer to a diverse group of people. Doing so could make women and non-binary people feel excluded from the conversation. And even if you are talking to a group of people that you perceive as being all men, don’t assume they all identify as such. So, the best course of action is to avoid gendered vocabulary all together. 

Practice using more inclusive terms such as “everyone”, “team”, “students”, or “colleagues”. You could even go for a cheesier approach and choose to say: “hello lovely people” or “good morning wonderful humans”. The world is your oyster, so use your creativity to find new ways to address people!

RGU and the LGBTQIA+ Action Group

With my Action Group, I raise awareness of and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community at RGU. Any staff member can become part of the group to help us in our mission. Join now: 

LGBTQIA+ Action Group - Teams

Also remember that RGU provides further support and has a dedicated Transgender Equality Policy as well as the Dignity at RGU Policy which ensures that everyone gets treated with respect and free of discrimination.