It’s International Pride Month and this series has been focused on helping people understand terms used within the LGBTIQA+ community. There is still more to learn however and today I’m going to go over a few things that everyone needs to know so that those within the community feel safe, comfortable, and respected.
Pronouns: these are what a person uses to publicly express their gender identity. He/him and she/her are the traditional pronouns for male and female, and they/them is more gender-neutral.
Other gender neutral but less commonly used pronouns are ve/ver or ze/hir. It is important to use the pronouns you’ve been asked to use, even if they’re different to what you’ve used in the past. If you have a trans friend, don’t use the old pronouns when referring to them in the past. Saying ‘back when she was he’ is disrespectful and shouldn’t be used.
Deadnaming: People who are transgender will often change their name to better reflect their identity and a deadname is what we call the name they used to go by (for example their birth name).
Deadnaming is when the old name is used in lieu of the new. Most trans people are understanding when friends or family accidentally use a deadname, so long as you make a concerted effort to use the new name. Such as with pronouns, you should avoid saying things such as ‘back when George was Christine’. It can be a little confusing but it is a mark of respect to use the name that your friend has asked you to, even when referring to them in the past.
Gender Dysphoria: this is the feeling of discomfort or distress that may occur in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics. Not all trans people will feel gender dysphoria but it can be triggered when they are misgendered by others.
This is why it is so important to always use the pronouns and name chosen by the person.
Our next and final instalment of this series is next week so be sure to join us!
