Not a language lesson, but you should learn how to use pronouns properly for everyone and everything.
It’s super important to identify everything and everyone in your environment the right way. This piece can show you what pronouns mean and how you can use them appropriately.
What is a Pronoun?
Pronouns are words that replace nouns. Remember that nouns give the people and things around us the names that we can easily use to identify them.
There’s a chair in your bedroom or some other room in your house, right? The word chair is a noun. When you want to replace this noun in your speech or writing, you use a pronoun, It.
That is the simple definition of pronouns.
Our first example involved an object, and It is usually the most common pronoun used for objects. On the other hand, more pronouns are used for people depending on their gender identity.
Gender Pronouns
Or let’s just call it people pronouns. It just rolls off the tongue so much better.
Anyway…
When people speak to you or when you speak to other people, you don’t always want to use their names. Sometimes, you replace their names with pronouns.
The most common pronouns used for people include she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/their. However, more gender-neutral pronouns like ze/hir are also used to refer to people.
If you’re familiar with the pronouns she/he, him/her, that’s because these are the binary pronouns that have been in use for the longest time.
When you meet gender-fluid or non-binary people, the pronouns to refer to them can vary.
Understanding Gender Pronouns is Important
The reason is simple: so you can address people properly
Correctly addressing people validates them and shows them that you accept them. When you get their pronouns misplaced, they feel the opposite; invalidated, dismissed, unaccepted.
Many people think there should not be a fuss over pronouns because it is just a word as they say, but it isn’t.
Pronouns are not a big deal to some people. But, for some other people, it is, and we need to respect that. It always starts with deciding to do our best to respect everyone we interact with.
Everything You Need to Understand About Using Gender Pronouns
The number one tip is that using gender-neutral pronouns or pronouns used by non-binary people for fun is NOT COOL. (Read that again.)
Many people put up their gender pronouns on their social media to make it easier for other people to address them properly. This approach is excellent, and people’s bios are always a great place to find out which pronouns they use.
There are still many people who do not have these descriptions in their bio. But, that should not be a problem because it is, after all, their profile, and it’s not illegal to choose to leave that information off their bio.
I will say this, though…
You cannot assume a person’s gender pronouns by their physiological appearance (i.e., if they appear to have male or female biological features), style of dressing, how they behave, or even their name.
You should practice using more gender pronouns than the binary options. It’ll help you identify people better. It will also reduce the chances that you misgender a person.
When in doubt, you can always ask them directly but politely.
Here’s an easy, polite question you can ask to get the information you need;
Hi there! (smiling) Can I ask what pronoun you use?
I hope this helps!