Cisgender people need to start disclosing their pronouns online
You may have noticed more people in your circle putting their pronouns (she/her, he/him, they/them, she/they, he/they, xe/xem, etc.) in their bios on social media, in their email signatures, in
You may have noticed more people in your circle putting their pronouns (she/her, he/him, they/them, she/they, he/they, xe/xem, etc.) in their bios on social media, in their email signatures, in their Zoom titles and more. I was so excited to see this become more common because it’s an important step in making people who don’t identify with binary gender theory or trans people more comfortable.
Trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people have been placed in dangerous situations just by making their preferred pronouns, and consequently their gender, known to others because it can single them out. If you’re a cisgender person reading this, how would you feel if every time you met someone new you had to worry about whether or not they would judge you for something you can’t change?
For trans, nonbinary and genderfluid people, every time they start a conversation they run the risk of having to justify their identity. How exhausting is that?
Misgendering can be traumatic and it could be easily avoided if cisgender people became a positive part of the process by normalizing seeing everyone’s pronouns, not just the pronouns of trans, nonbinary and genderfluid people. By more people catching on and adding their pronouns everywhere their name is, they work toward creating a safer space for people to share their identity without having extra attention being placed on them which can put them at higher risk for victimization.
A trans man created a “carrd” page to express his support for cisgender people introducing themselves with their prounouns or adding them on their social media profiles. One of the resources linked was a gay trans masc student who also wrote about this issue and brought up an important point: a cis person might not think they need to make their pronouns accessible because their pronouns should be obvious based on their appearance in a binary society like ours.
For example, someone who has always been a cisgender woman might see themselves as obviously a woman who obviously uses she/her pronouns, so there’s no point in adding “she/her” to her bio. This is harmful because it reinforces the idea that we can assume someone’s gender, which is harmful for any trans, nonbinary or gender noncomforming person.
The writer said it best: “There is no one way to look or be cisgender or to look or be transgender. Policing people’s appearance regarding their identity is offensive and only perpetuates harmful stereotypes and transphobic rhetoric.”
The least cisgender people can do after contributing to a toxic binary approach to gender for centuries is put our pronouns in our bios. It’s an easy addition that not only normalizes the act for trans, nonbinary or gender nonconforming people, but it also provides a signal that you’re a safe person who won’t victimize them because of their identity.
Cisgender people, add your pronouns everywhere your name is. Put them in your LinkedIn profile, in your Twitter and Instagram bios, on your resume, on your Zoom profile, in your email signature and anywhere else you can think of. At the beginning of any activity where you’re meeting new people or introducing others, create an inclusive space by introducing your pronouns along with your name and encourage others to do the same.
You as a cisgender person are not in danger when you do this. While it may seem a little awkward at first, that’s way better than putting someone in a position to decide whether they risk being true to themselves or staying quiet and uncomfortable.
