Last week Share My Meals had a dialogue around “Pronouns, gender-inclusive language, and transgender identities”. Priscille Bourquelot, one of our volunteers, passionately trying to be an ally for diversity and promoting inclusion and equity, shared her learnings around this theme.
Here are a few nuggets:
- Did you know that the use of “they/them” for singular gender-neutral designation dates back from the 13th century?
- Did you know that sharing one’s pronouns proactively in introductions such as: “Hello my name is Stan and my pronouns are he/him”, or on name tags at meetings, can go a long way to make transgender binary or non-binary people feel safe?
Can we consciously continue or start a simple habit to address a group in a gender-neutral and more inclusive manner “Welcome everyone”? Comments by the attendees included “great discussion on a very important topic”, “this presentation will help me feel more comfortable when addressing members of the LGBTQ community.”
Let’s continue this discussion and feel free to share with us what you witnessed or how you practice gender-inclusive habits in your daily and work life, whether in an organization, a school, a networking circle, a restaurant, or an office!
