International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating others about personal pronouns commonplace. Today represents a step toward building a more inclusive and tolerate society. We at the LGBT Bar are proud to join with hundreds of other organizations in supporting International Pronouns Day and being part of the movement to make personal pronoun discussions commonplace.

But why are pronouns important?

Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity. Being referred to by the wrong pronouns particularly affects trans and gender-nonconforming people. Simply put, it’s about respect!

Everyone has the right to be addressed by the name and pronouns which correspond to their gender identity, including the use of nonbinary/neutral pronouns (e.g., they/them). Research into adolescent health found that referring to trans people the ways they ask to be referred to has positive health outcomes for trans people.

Pronouns and the Courtroom

Trans and gender-nonconforming people are often harassed and treated with hostility, even within our court system where justice should be blind. This type of discrimination and disrespect is often demonstrated by the international and repeated use of the wrong pronouns, but it goes further. For example, Lambda Legal’s “Protected and Served” survey found that 29 percent of transgender respondents and 31 percent of transgender women reported that their LGBT identity was disclosed against their will during a court proceeding, compared to eight percent of cisgender respondents.

That same survey found that 19 percent of survey respondents who had been involved in the court system in the previous five years heard a judge, attorney or other court employee make negative comments about a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, with 16 percent feeling that their own sexual orientation or gender identity was raised by an attorney or judge when it was not relevant. Attorneys and judges should address transgender and gender-nonconforming people using their pronouns (“he/him,” “she/her,” “they/them”), but attorneys and judges should also be sure not to disclose a person’s LGBTQ+ identity against that person’s will.

By using trans and gender-nonconforming people’s correct pronouns, we acknowledge their humanity, help to affirm their identity, and destigmatize trans and nonbinary people. Inclusive language brings people together and better enables us to make just decisions based on facts, not unevidenced presumptions or fears.

Pronouns and Schools

Schools also have a role in helping to ensure progressive pronoun use by training administrators, educators, school safety officers, and other staff to address anti-LGBTQ bullying and harassment. These trainings should include information about how to interrupt and report bullying and harassment by students, staff and security personnel and supporting LGBTQ+ organizations in their school.

What else can workplaces and schools do?

Intersecting forms of oppression deeply impact the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans people. Together, we can transform society to acknowledge and celebrate people’s multiple, intersecting identities in ways that create and sustain inclusive and supportive communities for everyone.

Law schools and workplaces need to be prepared and trained for how to respectfully interact and they need to be proactive. We at the LGBT Bar are proud to offer Lavender Law 365 to help schools and workplaces make that cultural change.

Lavender Law 365 is our new LGBTQ+ inclusion coaching & consulting for law firms, law schools, and workplaces. Our program includes a hands-on consulting package tailored for the audience—whether they’re lawyers, general staff, decision-makers, HR, faculty, administration, or deans—to ensure people are receiving the most innovative, up-to-date policies, and meeting best practice standards for LGBTQ+ equity relevant to their organization.

The program’s presenter, M. Dru Levasseur, Esq. (he/him) is a leading advisor, and seasoned strategist with extensive experience in law, advocacy, philanthropy, and community organizing within the LGBT equality movement.

To effectively meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ community, a leading organization cannot just discuss inclusion—they must act on inclusion. That’s why we bring our expertise to law firms, workplaces, or schools to help them foster supportive, welcoming, and knowledgeable LGBTQ+ inclusive environments where everyone has the framework necessary for success.

We again would like to thank the individuals who began the campaign for International Pronouns Day:

• Founder and Co-Chair
  • Shige Sakurai, MBA, MA (they or ze), University of Maryland
• Co-Chair
  • Genny Beemyn, Ph.D. (they), UMass Amherst
• Communications Committee Leads
  • khristian kemp-delisser, EdD (they), Syracuse University
  • Luca Maurer, MS, CFLE, CSE (he), Ithaca College
• Education Committee Leads:
  • Courtney D’Allaird, MBA, MA (they), University of Albany
  • Chris Tanaka, MPS (she or they), Stony Brook University
• Partner
  • Crystal Huff (they), Include Better
  • Jo Teut, MA (they), Centre College