All about pronouns

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Confused about they/them pronouns?

Join Nevo Zisin (Melbourne) in conversation with Naavikaran (Brisbane), Liesel Hughes (Perth), and Amber Loomis (Sydney) talk about their lived experience of multiple identities beyond the binary.

What are pronouns?  

Pronouns are words that we use to refer to people when we’re not using their name. You probably learned about them in school. But they’re more important than you would consider them to be.
Using the right pronouns to refer to a person can be one of the easiest ways to show them respect and help them to affirm themselves. It is also one of the best ways to promote an inclusive atmosphere within your organisation. Pronouns ≠ Gender.

Pronouns are generally grouped by whether they’re ‘gendered’ or ‘gender-neutral’. 

Singular gender-neutral pronouns are not only grammatically correct, but they’ve been around for centuries. Gender-neutral pronouns are also a polite and easy way to refer to someone until you know what pronouns they use.

The importance of pronouns

There are lots of reasons as to why it’s important to use the correct pronouns for a person. 

Using the right pronouns to refer to a person can be one of the easiest ways to build rapport, show them respect, and help them to affirm themselves. On the flipside, using the wrong pronouns to refer to someone can actually be quite harmful even if it is accidental or unintentional.  

“Misgendering” is a term used to describe accidentally or intentionally using incorrect pronouns about or towards a person. It can happen as an accident, and that's okay. The important thing to remember is that it’s okay to make mistakes but not to make a big deal out of it. Apologise and rectify your mistake and then move on. A good way to prevent this from occurring too often is to practice using someone’s pronouns mentally before using them out loud in conversation.

Find out more about the use of pronouns here

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