8/29/2015

InclusivePractice:PronounUsage|OfficeforDiversityandInclusion

InclusivePractice:PronounUsage
August26,2015

InclusivePractice

DonnaBraquet,genderexpression,genderidentity,genderneutral,

inclusion,InclusivePractice,LGBT,LGBTQ,LGBTQIA,PrideCenter,pronouns

ByDonnaBraquet,DirectorofthePrideCenter(http://pridecenter.utk.edu)
Withthenewsemesterbeginningandaninfluxofnewstudentsoncampus,itisimportantto
participateinmakingourcampuswelcomingandinclusiveforall.Onewaytodothatistousea
studentschosennameandtheircorrectpronouns.
Weshouldnotassumesomeonesgenderbytheirappearance,norbywhatislistedonarosterorin
studentinformationsystems.Transgenderpeopleandpeoplewhodonotidentitywithinthegender
binarymayuseadifferentnamethantheirlegalnameandpronounsoftheirgenderidentity,rather
thanthepronounsofthesextheywereassignedatbirth.

Introductions
Inthefirstweeksofclasses,insteadofcallingroll,askeveryonetoprovidetheirnameandpronouns.
Thisensuresyouarenotsinglingouttransgenderornonbinarystudents.Thenameastudentuses
maynotbetheoneontheofficialroster,andtherosternamemaynotbethesamegenderastheone
thestudentnowuses.

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Thispracticeworksoutsideoftheclassroomaswell.Youcanstartmeetingswithrequesting
introductionsthatincludenamesandpronouns,introduceyourselfwithyournameand
chosenpronouns,orwhenprovidingnametags,askattendeestowriteintheirnameandpronouns.

Genderneutralpronouns
Wearefamiliarwiththesingularpronounsshe,her,hersandhe,him,his,butthosearenottheonly
singularpronouns.Infact,therearedozensofgenderneutralpronouns.
Afewofthemostcommonsingulargenderneutralpronounsarethey,them,their(usedassingular),
ze,hir,hirs,andxe,xem,xyr.
Thesemaysoundalittlefunnyatfirst,butonlybecausetheyarenew.Thesheandhepronouns
wouldsoundstrangetooifwehadbeentaughtzewhengrowingup.

Howdoyouknow?
Howdoyouknowwhatpronounsomeoneuses?Ifyoucannotusethemethodsmentionedabove,you
canalwayspolitelyask.Oh,nicetomeetyou,[insertname].WhatpronounsshouldIuse?isa
perfectlyfinequestiontoask.
Themorewemakesharingofpronounsauniversalpractice,themoreinclusivewewillbeasa
campus.Whenourorganizationalcultureshiftstowhereaskingforchosennamesandpronounsisthe
standardpractice,italleviatesaheavyburdenforpersonsalreadymarginalizedbytheirgender
expressionoridentity.

Learnmore
Tolearnmoreaboutgenderidentity,genderneutralpronouns,ortransgendertopics,considersigning
upforaSafeZoneworkshopatsafezone.utk.edu(http://safezone.utk.edu).

Dr.JioniLewishonoredasQuest
Scholar

LibrariesDiversityCommittee
DevelopsCampusandNational
Programs

LATESTN EWS
EAPReceivesFederalTRIOFunding
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InclusivePractice:PronounUsage|OfficeforDiversityandInclusion

AliciaFaggioli:MakingConnections
ChangingtheProfileofOurFaculty
LibrariesDiversityCommitteeDevelopsCampusandNationalPrograms
InclusivePractice:PronounUsage

SU BSC R IBE
Periodicallywesendannouncementsaboutfundingdeadlines,newprograms,events,andother
updates.Signuptostayinformed.
EmailAddress
FirstName
LastName
Subscribe

LEAR N MO R E

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InclusivePractice:PronounUsage|OfficeforDiversityandInclusion

Severalnewresourceshavebeenaddedtoourwebsite:
CampusAccessibilityandDiversityMaps
BestPracticesforInclusiveEvents
BestPracticesforInclusiveHolidayCelebrations
BestPracticesforTalkingAboutRace

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Phone:9746271
Email:vcdiversity@utk.edu

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