University’s pronoun plan makes gender easy to pin down
Freshers will get badges to state whether they prefer ‘he’ ‘she’ or ‘they’
EDINBURGH University’s student union officials will hand out pronoun badges to freshers so they know whether to refer to each other as “he”, “she” or “they”.
The move is intended to avoid any potential “misgendering” of non-binary or transgender students who may display the physical attributes of one gender while associating more closely with another or none at all.
Kai O’Doherty, the vicepresident for welfare at Edinburgh University Students’ Association, said pronoun badges would be available throughout “Welcome Week”, which takes place before the official start of term next month.
The students’ union also published a guide to pronouns, explaining why it is important to “normalise” the practice of making gender pronouns public.
The guide states: “Many people assume that the pronouns they should use for an individual are obvious: people who look like men should be referred to using he/him, and people who look like women should be referred to as she/her.”
It explains that making these assumptions can be “frustrating and harmful” for transgender on non-binary students, who may prefer to use gender-neutral pronouns.
“If we choose to make assumptions about which pronouns are correct, we risk misgendering people and/or singling out trans people who want to clarify their pronouns,” it says.
The guide advises saying you “don’t which pronoun is used is offensive, as it “suggests that trans folks are silly for requesting that their pronouns be respected”.
Asking people about their “preferred” pronoun should also be avoided, as it can imply that pronouns are a mere preference rather than a necessity. Using the term “preferred” can also “isolate and alienate” transgender people, it says.
The guide explains how as well as using the correct pronouns for fellow students when meeting them for the first time, students must also ensure that they are using the right pronouns for existing acquaintances. It says students should bear in mind that gender is “fluid”, so even if someone has used a particular pronoun for someone in the past, that may not apply indefinitely.
“Even where you are fairly confident you know people’s pronouns, it’s still good to refresh our knowledge and give folks the opportunity to provide their correct pronouns,” it says.
“People may wish to change their pronouns throughout their life for a variety of reasons. Giving them the opportunity to do that without having to single themselves out is part of being a good ally to trans people.”
The guide explains it is important to establish the regular sharing of pronouns as common practice to avoid creating a situation in which someone’s pronoun is unclear.
It adds: “However, sometimes it’s unavoidable – for example when you meet someone new for the first time. In this scenario, you can respectfully share your pronouns and ask for theirs: ‘Sorry, I don’t think we’ve met before. My name’s Sarah and my pronouns are she/ her – how about you?’ or simply ask, ‘Could you just remind me of your pronouns?’”