I'll start off this post by saying that my pronouns are she/they, which means you can refer to me by either she/her (ex. "That's Zoe! She's really cool!"), or they/them (ex. "Zoe loves to share their stories on Instagram").
I use multiple sets of pronouns because that’s what feels right to me 🥰 I know I have aspects of both womanhood and non-binaryhood (if that’s a word lol) within me, and I like having the option to call out both of those in language.
As the title of this post says, pronouns are important to everyone -- not just those in the LGBTQ+ community. Every single person uses pronouns, regardless of whether these match your sex assigned at birth. That's why it's so necessary to have open conversations about pronouns and to normalize sharing them, especially because...
1️⃣ You can’t tell someone’s identity or pronouns just by looking at them.
The way that someone dresses or acts doesn’t necessarily correlate to their chosen labels and language. Someone may present very femininely, but that doesn’t mean they are a woman or use she/her pronouns! Never assume anything based on appearance alone :)
2️⃣ Just because you know someone’s gender doesn’t mean you know their pronouns.
People of any gender can use any pronouns that feel right to them! A non-binary person can use binary pronouns (ex. she/her or he/him), and a binary person can use non-binary or neo pronouns (ex. they/them, xe/xem, etc.). There are no rules here — the only thing that matters is that people are doing what feels authentic to their true selves.
🌈 In all cases, the best thing to do is simply *ask* someone what their pronouns are!
I usually start by offering up mine (ex. I might say “I’m Zoe, and my pronouns are she/they. What are yours?”) — but it’s also totally okay to say something like “I’m not sure I caught your pronouns — can you remind me what they are?”
Another great thing to do is add your pronouns to your bio, or your email signature, or any other public, easy-to-see place. This helps to normalize the sharing of pronouns and erase any assumptions or confusions. It’s especially important and meaningful when cis allies do this. Because for non-cis people, offering up their pronouns can sometimes feel like they’re outing themselves, which is never what we want someone to feel!
But if *everyone* shares their pronouns openly, then it becomes way less scary or risky 😊
➡️ So tell me, what are your pronouns? ⬅️
