Lately, people have made sure others know their proper pronouns so that they can be addressed properly and with what’s comfortable for the individual. The most common pronouns are she/her, he/him and they/them. Many students at our school have made it clear what their pronouns and preferred names are, but students and teachers do not acknowledge it. 

It is important to make sure that you are using the proper name and pronouns for each individual because dead-naming and using incorrect pronouns can be mentally and physically harmful to people. Using the wrong pronouns on someone can trigger gender dysphoria, which is feeling discomfort and emotional stress that occurs often in people whose birth-assigned sex and characteristics. Gender dysphoria is commonly related with transgender people and gender-nonconforming people.

Oftentimes, people on social media have been putting their preferred pronouns in their bios so that if somebody comments on a post or video they know what pronouns to use.

Respecting one’s pronouns is respecting their identity. Purposefully disrespecting a person’s pronouns and gender identity can be extremely hurtful and insulting.

Asking for somebody’s preferred pronouns is important when having a conversation too. If you’re uncomfortable asking, or the person is uncomfortable sharing, it’s also safe to just use they/them pronouns as well. It’s common to make mistakes with things like this, but it’s also easy to fix your mistake and move on so that nobody gets offended.

The concept of personal pronouns can get confusing, but it gets easier to comprehend with practice and maybe a little research. Asking a simple question such as “Hey, what are your pronouns?” could even make somebody’s day. Pronouns are something that are taught in classes from a young age. The ones we are introduced to at that age are just a start to the many different pronouns people today are using to identify themselves in a comfortable manner.