The purpose of International Pronouns Day is to make space for people to share their pronouns and to promote respect and inclusion of all gender identities.
Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity. Being referred to by the wrong pronouns particularly affects transgender and gender nonconforming people. Together, we can transform society to celebrate people’s multiple, intersecting identities.
The sharing or display of pronouns in the workplace, or on social media profiles, has also become increasingly common. Pronouns are not indicative of a person’s sexual orientation so, naturally, not everyone who shares or displays their pronouns identify as LGBTQ+.
The reason straight, cisgender people share or display their pronouns is simple: they want to show others that they will respect everyone’s pronouns; in other words, displaying their pronouns is a way to let others know (especially LGBTQ+ people) that they will create a safe space for any LGBTQ+ folks around them. Including pronouns in e-mail signatures is another great way to show that you are committed to equality.
To find out more about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Birmingham, please visit https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/collaboration/equality/index.aspx
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