Gender Pronouns

What are gender pronouns?

Third-person pronouns are a set of words used in the English language that identify a person or something a person possesses, such as he/him/his, she/her/hers, they/them/their, etc.

Why do pronouns matter?

Pronouns are used in every day language and many of us do not spend too much time thinking about them. For people who use pronouns other than those assigned at birth such as transgender, gender non-conforming, and nonbinary people, pronouns mean a lot. Referring to someone with the wrong gender pronoun is one way to misgender someone and can trigger dysphoria ( a feeling that one's gender identity has been invalidated resulting with discomfort in one's body and mind). Using a person's correct gender pronouns shows support and respect.

Using Pronouns

Apologize, correct yourself, and make an effort to do better next time. Do not make a bid deal about the mistake, that can make the situation worse for the person who has been misgendered.

Correct, some people might use multiple pronouns such as "he/she/they" or "she and they". Pronouns vary by the individual.

The University has set guidlines on including gender pronouns as an option in e-mail signatures. Be sure to utlize the brand standard.

Yes! The University has guidelines on including gender pronouns on business cards and name badges.

Examples include changing gendered language to non-gendered language:

Gendered language: Ladies and gentlemen, men and women, guys and gals.
Non-gendered language: Folks, y'all (you all), everyone, guests, anyone, team, students, faculty, staff.

It can be a good idea to ask for pronouns in a group facilitation during an introduction. It can, however, be unsafe for someone to disclose their gender identity, so discretion should be used. If someone does not want to provide their pronouns, that should be respected. You can also ask for pronouns on name badges at conferences, group socials and gatherings. The best way to introduce pronoun use is to introduce yourself with your gender pronouns. For example: "Hello my name is Jeff, and I use he/him pronouns." This will let people know that you are pronoun conscious.

Practice with Pronouns

Gender Pronoun Guide

Subject Pronouns	Object Pronouns	Possessive Pronouns	Reflexive Pronoun	Example
he	him	his	himself	He is speaking I listen to him That book is his
she	her	hers	herself	She is speaking I listen to her That book is hers
they	them	theirs	themself or themselves	They are speaking I listen to them That book is theirs
per	per	pers	perself	Per is speaking I listen to per That book is pers
ze with zir (pronounced "zee" and "zeer")	Zir	Zirs	zirself	Ze is speaking I listen to zir That book is zirs
ze with hir (pronounced "zee" and "heer")	hir	hirs	hirself	Ze is speaking I listen to hir That book is hirs
xe (pronounced "ze")	xem	xyr/xyrs	xyrself	Xe is talking I listen to xem That book is xry/xyrs
ey (pronounced "ay")	em	eir/eirs	emself	Ey is talking I listen to em That book is eir/eirs

For more information on pronouns, contact Student Diversity & Inclusion Staff.