An introduction is the beginning of it all. Your relationships with others are arguably based on how you introduce yourself, whether it is work, school, social media, or personal relationships. When you introduce yourself you often say things that define who you are on a basic level, like your name, age, job, etc. Recently, a new movement for change has been brought to the attention of many. Introducing yourself with your preferred pronouns. 

Introducing yourself with your pronouns can take many different forms. The most common form is adding your pronouns to your social media biography. A social media biography may seem unimportant to some, but to those enveloped in the modern-day social media experience, the importance of the bio is that it is the basis for someone’s entire perception of you. Those who are in solidarity with this movement often put their preferred pronouns in the forms “she/her”, “he/him”, “they/them”, simply stating “any pronouns”, and others (depending on how they identify). Another form that is less used, though equally as important, is putting your pronouns in a professional setting. This means resumes, the first time emailing a teacher or coworker, and any other times when you start a correlation. 

But why are preferred pronouns important? Pronouns are used to remove the stigma around the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community. It is a simple act to move toward normalizing queerness. Using preferred pronouns for someone who is queer is a form of affirmation and validation. When someone doesn’t fit into old-fashioned and scientifically inaccurate concepts about gender, pronouns are the way to help them identify who they are. To add, someone’s visual appearance may not always match what they identify as. This furthers the need for pronouns being in everyday use so that people are not misgendered. 

Pronouns also show solidarity and acceptance to those who are queer. Those who have their pronouns apparent are those who work toward the normalization of being queer. No matter if you are cisgender or genderqueer it is important that you create an environment that gives comfort to all people. The more people who use their pronouns when introducing, the more normalized it becomes. Isabella Rodriguez (11), says “Putting pronouns helps to normalize alternate pronouns. Mostly when you see people put their pronouns in their bios it’s to avoid being misgendered, and as a result, insensitive people can leave rude and disrespectful remarks. So by having everyone have their pronouns in their bio, it helps normalize the idea that not everyone is as they seem and we should use the pronouns they give.” For those who identify with pronouns that others may not use for them at first glance, this gives acceptance and community. When the introduction with pronouns is more common, a community of safety is created for those who may need and use gender validation.

In the end, it is all about respect for others and their gender identity. By adding pronouns to places that you can, when introducing yourself, you show that you respect others’ gender identities and pronouns. It also creates an overall healthier, safer, and more inclusive environment. Finally, it normalizes the use of correct pronouns for others. So next time you meet someone new, consider trying to introduce yourself with pronouns. Or maybe, try adding your pronouns to your bio. These things are not a hard effort but can accomplish so much for those who are queer like removing stigmas and creating allies!