Ways to Be Gender Inclusive

Gender inclusivity, visibility, and representation are incredibly important.

Babson provides faculty and staff with safe zone and ally stickers, as well as encourages further indication to show that offices or rooms are safe spaces. There are other ways to support the transgender community and be gender inclusive, and one of those ways is to be educated on the use of gender-inclusive pronouns.

Why Pronouns Matter

Pronouns are equally as important as names because we want to know what to call a person. In the same regard that some people prefer to be referred to by a nickname or ensure their name is pronounced correctly, it’s necessary to be conscious of their pronoun. When pronouns are assigned to someone without confirming their pronouns, there is a major assumption about that person based on their physical appearance, which is incorrect and can be disrespectful. Asking about someone’s pronouns, sharing your own, or making your pronouns easily visible are easy ways to show people that you’re supportive, inclusive, and respectful of gender identity.

Gendered pronouns, such as She/Her/Hers and He/Him/His, are used to refer to others in place of a name. Gender-neutral pronouns are They/Them/Theirs, Ze/Hir/Hirs, and Xe/Xem/Xyrs, and are used by those who do not want to be associated with a specific gender.

Ways of Using Pronouns to Show Gender Inclusivity