A primer on pronouns

A primer on pronouns

These small words make a big difference in ensuring that everyone feels respected and included.

By MARK VENDER

Recently, you may have noticed an addition to some people’s email
signatures or their name tags in online meetings. It could look something like this:

Jo Hausman (she/her)

For the uninitiated, seeing pronouns such as she/her, he/him, they/them, or other variations for the first time can be confusing. So, we decided to provide a quick summary.

What’s in a name?

Pronouns are words that we use to refer to people when we’re not using their name. And in the past, we have generally used a simplistic, binary gender-based approach: female or male; she or he.

But this approach does not recognise our rich array of gender identities. Some of us identify as neither female nor male, others are fluid. Adding pronouns to a name indicates how we would like others to refer to us.

Using pronouns

Some find it difficult at first to use a pronoun such as “they” to refer to a single person (even though, for the grammar sticklers, there is in fact a centuries-long record of this in English). Practice makes perfect.

Adding pronouns to a name is a practice that can be adopted in the workplace by anyone, as an ally, to show respect for and affirm gender-diverse people.

“This shows that you take correct pronoun usage seriously,” says  ACON, “and encourages your clients to be more confident in being themselves around you and your organisation. It also helps
to normalise pronouns.”

Another great way to show allyship is to always ask people what pronouns they use to describe themselves. And you can start by providing your own.

This article appears in ecolibrium’s April 2022 issue

Want to read more?
 

AIRAH MEMBERS

Click here to view our archive of issues and features.

NON-MEMBERS

Become an AIRAH member or subscribe to Ecolibrium.

Mair takes top Testo job

Mair takes top Testo job

Testo has appointed Jason Mair as its new managing director, and says the team is looking forward to continued success and partnerships utilising his leadership and extensive experience.Mair was formerly head of sales for SICK Pty Ltd, responsible for sales across...

ASHRAE issues global agenda

ASHRAE issues global agenda

The final report from the ASHRAE Global HVAC&R Summit held in Istanbul, Turkey last October has been released by the US‑based engineering association.“The Summit was designed to create an environment of collaboration and strategic dialogue to address the critical...

WRAP artist – meet Robert Holovka, M.AIRAH

WRAP artist – meet Robert Holovka, M.AIRAH

Ecolibrium shoots the breeze with the Melbourne-based director and founder of WRAP Engineering, Robert Holovka, M.AIRAH.Specialty Multi-discipline engineer, specialising in mechanical engineering. Passions The initial concept phase of any building design – when...

Wood that it could

Wood that it could

By embracing the Passivhaus standard, a new apartment building in Palma, Spain, classifies as an nZEB (nearly zero energy building).   Paseo Mallorca 15 is a 10-apartment block in the main thoroughfare of Palma, capital of the Spanish island of Mallorca (Majorca), not...

The comfort of family

The comfort of family

The development of a sophisticated control system for an iconic home in Melbourne’s leafy suburbs has not only provided greater comfort to its occupants but broken new ground in predictive climate control systems. Sean McGowan reports on a house that has been home to...

Trish Hyde named as new AIRAH CEO

Trish Hyde named as new AIRAH CEO

A seamless transition to the Institute’s new Chief Executive is in place. Following a detailed recruitment process, the AIRAH Board has appointed Trish Hyde to the role of AIRAH Chief Executive. Hyde replaces Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH, who announced his impending...

Reliable Controls advertisement

Advertisement