 I don't get why people make such a big deal about asking others about their pronouns – or sharing their own, for that matter. They're something we use in communication with everyone we interact with on a daily basis. The way I see it, making your pronouns clear is no different than people clarifying that your name is, in fact, just 'Becca' and not 'Rebecca', or someone correcting another who has pronounced their name wrong. It takes the same amount of time. So why do so many act as if it's some laborious, insulting task to either ask someone else or declare their own pronouns? When I first came out as trans in 2008, it was common for people to misgender me. Back then I asked people to use she/her for me, while in recent years I've also become OK with either she/her or they/them. When misgendering used to happen, it was really emotionally draining. I remember one instance where I got misgendered when I was working in a shop, where a woman referred to me as 'the boy at the till', and I just felt incredibly defeated and disheartened the entire day. Every single time it happened it felt like a punch to the stomach, and my heart sank. That's because, when people don't see you as who you really are, it can be incredibly demoralising. Thankfully, it never happens anymore but, when it does, it's by people like trolls on social media or personalities known for being transphobic, who are deliberately trying to bully me or hurt me. Taking the time to care about pronouns isn't a big deal, and is the respectful thing to do But I've also come to a place in life where these things don't affect me anymore because I'm loved and supported by everyone important to me. What a stranger thinks of me or my gender is unimportant – but I would still correct people if it were to happen in real life. The thing is: For most people, pronouns aren't really something they think about. They're just a){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
I don’t get why people make such a big deal about asking others about their pronouns – or sharing their own, for that matter.
They’re something we use in communication with everyone we interact with on a daily basis.
The way I see it, making your pronouns clear is no different than people clarifying that your name is, in fact, just ‘Becca’ and not ‘Rebecca’, or someone correcting another who has pronounced their name wrong. It takes the same amount of time.
So why do so many act as if it’s some laborious, insulting task to either ask someone else or declare their own pronouns?