Should cis-identified people list their pronouns and use they/them?:
Perspectives from gender expansive voices
Sabrina Ortiz¹*, Mei Tam¹*, Joyce P. Yang2, Emma Showers3, & J Garrett-Walker2
1School of Nursing and Health Professions, University of San Francisco, San Francisco CA, USA
2Department of Psychology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco CA, USA
3King’s School of Social Work, Western University, London, ON Canada
Results: Themes
Introduction
Discussion
Participants were 60 BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, gender diverse, emerging adults (18-29 years old) who completed a mixed-methods online survey. A subset of the qualitative data is presented here:
Q1) It has become common for people to list their pronouns in places such as their email signature lines, next to their Zoom name, etc. How do you feel about this social shift?
Q2) Many cisgender folks are listing pronouns as she/they or he/they. Please share your thoughts. What do you think about this?
Two coders engaged in conventional qualitative content analysis which involved reading and re-reading transcripts, open coding, condensation, creation of preliminary codebook, resolution of coding conflicts, and extraction of themes.
“I think it's cool. I think having cis people feel comfortable being referred to as "they" is a win for society.”
Asian nonbinary pansexual person in their mid 20s
“I love it. whenever a colleague or professor does so, it makes me extremely happy. it’s so important that our existence becomes commonplace.”
– Black pansexual nonbinary person in their mid 20s
Affective
Opinions
“Also, when cisgender people list them, it normalizes it and doesn't out people as transgender,”
Asian asexual agender person in his late teens
Cognitive Reasonings
“No one has the right to gatekeep language, or decide what descriptors/labels other people can or cannot use.”
Multiracial bisexual transgender nonbinary person in their mid 20s
“I do not want to unintentionally out myself by associating myself with a "visibly transgender" practice.. it puts undue pressure on closeted or questioning people.”
Asian/White/MENA bisexual transgender man in their late 20s
Concerns
“I find that it is more inclusive and helps to normalize they/them as a pronoun set, without outing someone as transgender.”
Asian agender person in their mid 20s
"It normalizes asking and using the correct pronouns."
Black lesbian nonbinary person in their late 20s
Favorable Outcomes
“I think it would be good for “they” to become a universal pronoun”
Asian Asexual agender in early 20s
“I don't think it should be mandatory because there are always folks who may not be comfortable sharing.”
Asian queer nonbinary transgender man in their early 20s
Recommendations
Perspectives on pronoun listing varied, highlighting the need for a nuanced understanding of individual experiences.
Responses were influenced by personal gender identity experiences and relationships.
It is essential to balance the benefits of pronoun listing with the need for autonomy and safety, as not all individuals feel comfortable or safe disclosing their pronouns in every context.
Organizations should create policies that encourage but do not mandate pronoun listing.
The study's sample was primarily composed of younger individuals engaged in 2SLGBTQ-interest groups and higher education, limiting the generalizability of the findings in terms of age and socioeconomic status.
The recommendation to use "they" as a universal pronoun reflects an evolving understanding of gender and language, promoting broader societal acceptance and integration.
Future research should explore the direct associations between pronoun listing in workplaces (e.g., schools, corporate settings) and the wellbeing of trans and gender-expansive individuals using psychometrically validated measures.
These insights can inform the development of policies and practices that promote inclusivity while respecting individual autonomy and safety.
Conclusion
Perspectives on Cisgender Folks Using “They” Pronouns
Perspectives on Listing Pronouns
“I have no right to speak on behalf of other people’s pronouns,”
Latinx bisexual genderqueer in their mid 20s
*denotes shared first authorship
There is a current trend of listing pronouns in email signatures and Zoom names as a means for gender inclusiveness (Woods-Child, 2021).
Understanding pronouns and gendered language plays a vital role in addressing gender expansive issues (Zimman, 2017).
There has also been a shift in gendered language with cisgender folks listing their pronouns as she/they or he/they.
One perspective is that these practices increase inclusivity by potentially (re)turning “they” pronouns into universal identifiers.
Conversely, another perspective sees this as a form of appropriation (Hanna et al., 2019).
This research seeks to understand the multifaceted perspectives surrounding these social shifts from gender expansive voices.