I sat back smiling, on the edge of tears as a buddy explained gender-neutral pronouns to his mother. I felt seen, listened, and supported for the first time in my life.
When I first told friends or family, they either didn't understand or were distracted and not paying attention. Wow, I thought. This is being accepted for who I am.”
People have presumed my gender since I was a child. When someone uses they/them pronouns, I feel like they're recognising they don't perceive me as a woman.
Using they/them pronouns for me shows respect. Seeing folks adjust their default methods of addressing me shows me they care.
I've spent longer pretending to be a lady than being myself, so I'm used to never feeling accepted. Transgender and nonbinary people aren't always welcome.
Everyone assumes someone's gender based on appearance. If someone has long hair and a curvaceous body, we assume they're a lady and use she/her pronouns.
Pronouns are just as crucial as getting someone's name right. It's about recognising someone's uniqueness.
Microaggressions are subtle or minor types of discrimination that can have large effects. It's daily discrimination, intentional or not.