Using the Right Pronouns Promotes Inclusion

Although Pride Month has ended, there are still many ways we can continue to show our support for the LGBTQIA+ Community. One way to show support is learning and using each other’s preferred pronouns. Ensuring you are using an individual’s correct pronoun is a great step toward respecting their identity, helping to boost their self-esteem, and make others feel included.

It is important to create the safe environment to allow everyone to share, but not everyone feels comfortable in doing so. If someone chooses not to share their pronouns, refer to the person by their preferred name. Misgendering an individual can happen unintentionally. If you realize you have misgendered a colleague or new acquaintance, you may want to course correct and take steps toward using the individual’s preferred pronoun. Below is a diagram of different pronouns that are used.

A special thank you to Jarett Geissler, DEI specialist at Tinker Federal Credit Union, for his resources on this topic.