Many people are under the (false) impression that in English there are only two pronouns for referring to individuals: "he" and "she," and that you can assign pronouns to a person based on appearance, name or voice.
In fact, the choice of pronouns lies with each individual. Many people have been choosing other pronouns for a long time because they do not identify with the idea of binary genders.
Some people use "they" and "them", while others use neopronouns like xe/xem, ze/zir, ey/em, e/em, or ae/aer. Some people prefer to be addressed or mentioned without pronouns and only using their name.
You can probably imagine that it's not always easy to ask other people to use the right pronouns for you, especially if you might need a bit more.
You can take the first step! Add your pronouns to your email signature so the people you're corresponding with that you're interested in using the right pronouns and understand the importance.
This makes it easier and less daunting to broach the topic with you, especially for people who regularly have to explain and justify their pronouns. Normalize sharing pronouns and show that you support (gender) diversity. By putting this in your signature, you do this for everyone you write to!
If you need some help with your email signature:
Sign up here and we'll send you our template (in German) for a gender-inclusive email signature, including a quick guide with further tips.
Do you want to become more inclusive at work, at school, or in your personal communication? We've got just the thing for you: a template for your email signature with which you can send three positive signals at once:
Want to learn more about inclusive communication and non-binary pronouns? Sign up for one of our public workshops or contact us with an inquiry.
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