What are preferred gender pronouns | Your ultimate inclusive guide

By India Today Education Desk:

What is a pronoun? A pronoun is a word that we use to refer to someone or something when we don’t need to use a noun, often because the person or the thing has been mentioned before in the conversation.

Now, what is a preferred gender pronoun? Preferred gender pronouns (PGP) are pronouns that a person wishes others to use when addressing them. They are also called personal gender pronouns. It is an aspect of gender-inclusive language and respectful communication.

Many believe that pronouns fall under the gender binary, i.e., for men, it is he/him/his, and for females, it is she/her/her. Preferred gender pronouns don’t restrict themselves to just “he” and “she”. It also includes gender-neutral pronouns.

WHAT ARE GENDER-NEUTRAL PRONOUNS?

Gender-neutral pronouns are pronouns that are used to refer to a person without assuming their gender. These are particularly used by people who identify themselves as non-binary.

A non-binary person is someone who does not identify themselves under the socially constructed genders, i.e., men and women. Some examples of gender-neutral pronouns include they/them/their, Ze/hir/hirs, and Xe/xem/xyr.

One thing to note is that not all individuals who identify themselves as non-binary use gender-neutral pronouns. The key is to respect and use the pronouns that an individual requests to identify with.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON'T KNOW SOMEONE'S PREFERRED PRONOUN?

There may be times when you are not aware of someone’s pronouns. In such situations, you should simply ask them about their pronouns or you can use gender-neutral language, “They/them/their”, to be respectful.

Another solution to it is that you introduce yourself with your preferred pronouns. This will create a more inclusive environment and will also encourage others to share their pronouns.

For example, “Hi, I am Karan, and my pronouns are he/him.” Or, “The delivery person is at the door, ‘they’ are asking for the OTP."

Remember, by using correct pronouns you are acknowledging someone’s gender identity.

5 THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

To create a gender-inclusive conversation, you should keep in mind five important things:

1. Introduce yourself with your preferred pronouns. This will encourage others to do the same.
2. When you are not aware of someone’s pronouns then ask, or use a gender-neutral language.
3. Be respectful towards someone’s pronouns.
4. Don’t assume someone’s pronouns based on their appearance, name, or characteristics.
5. If you make a mistake regarding someone's pronouns, it is okay, apologise and move on. This will make the other person also comfortable.