What are pronouns?
Pronouns are the way someone refers to you. The most commonly used pronouns are ‘she/her/hers’, normally used for women, and he/him/his’, normally used for men. Many non-binary people use gender neutral pronouns such as singular ‘they/them/theirs’, or other gender-neutral pronouns also known as neo-pronouns such as ‘ze/zir/zirs’.
At Studio Moross we encourage our staff to put pronouns in their email bios, Zoom/Meet handles, and also introduce themselves with their pronouns when meeting new people. Such as, ‘My name is Kate, I use they/them pronouns’.
It’s important not to make assumptions about people when you meet them. You can’t always tell someone’s gender identity simply by looking at them, their name, or hearing their voice.
Although trans and non-binary identities may be new to you, it’s really important to respect everyone. Take the time to learn more about trans and non-binary people and their experiences. We want to make sure our studio continues to be respectful and inclusive for everyone who comes into contact with us. If someone lets you know the pronouns they’d like you to use to refer to them, please be respectful of this. And if you’re unsure when you first meet someone, it’s ok to ask!
It’s a small but easy way to normalise discussions surrounding gender within the workplace. In particular, it allows transgender and non-binary people to let others know which pronouns they’d like to be used, and therefore avoids them being misgendered. If you are cisgender (your gender identity matches the sex you were assigned at birth), having your pronouns in your email signature or online bio shows that you are an ally to trans and non-binary people, and also that you don’t make assumptions about anyone’s gender.
We also ensure not to make assumptions about other people’s genders, freelancers, clients, people who have emailed. If you are referring to someone and you don’t know their pronouns you can use their name. For example, ‘We have just had a new email from John, John wants to come in for a meeting.’ or gender-neutral pronouns, ‘They want to come in for a meeting’.
What to do if Someone Gets Misgendered at Work
If you hear someone misgender someone else or use the incorrect pronoun then it can help to gently correct them without drawing attention to the issue, although where possible it is good to get guidance from the misgendered party on how they would like it to be dealt with when they are present. A polite way to correct your colleague is to take your coworker aside in a private place, and inform your coworker of the person’s correct pronouns.
If at any point a staff member or client has made you feel uncomfortable please inform a Project Manager and the issue will be addressed.