You will often already be using it without realising, i.e. Using the pronoun ‘they’ is very useful when someone’s gender or identity is unknown. Using people’s correct pronouns shows that you respect them and who they are The most common gender-neutral pronoun is the singular ‘they’ (they/them/theirs). Not everyone necessarily uses ‘he’ or ‘she’ pronouns and it’s important to be respectful of people who use different pronouns. ‘when a colleague finishes their work’ as opposed to ‘when a colleague finishes his/her work’ Use the singular ‘their’ instead of ‘his/her’ in letters and other forms of writing, i.e. Titles are not always necessary, but if they must be used it’s good to provide alternative ones such as ‘Mx’ (pronounced mix or mux) Not everyone is comfortable with gendered titles such as ‘Ms’ or ‘Mr’. For example, use ‘parents’, ‘partner’, ‘children’ or ‘siblings’ Use words that define the relationship instead of the relationship and gender. Instead of addressing groups of people with binary language such as ‘ladies and gentlemen’, try more inclusive alternatives such as ‘folks’, ‘pals’ or ‘everyone’ Put your pronouns in your email signature or social media profile Stating your pronouns reminds people that it might not always be immediately obvious what pronouns someone uses Introduce yourself with your name and pronouns. Here are 10 tips you can start using right away! Once we start to notice them, we can move towards using language that’s inclusive for all. Our language and the way we speak is often embedded with hidden gendered cues. There are many ways to be inclusive of everyone, regardless of their gender identity. What can I do to step up as an ally to non-binary people? They can present as masculine, feminine or in another way and this can change over time, but none of these expressions make their identity any less valid or worthy of respect. Gender expression is how you express yourself and just like everyone else, non-binary people have all sorts of ways to express themselves and their identity. This is not something which is governed by a person’s physical attributes. Gender identity refers to a person’s clear sense of their own gender. In order to understand non-binary gender identities better, it’s vital to understand the difference between gender identity and gender expression. Trans people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to) transgender, transsexual, gender-queer (GQ), gender-fluid, non-binary, gender-variant, crossdresser, genderless, agender, nongender, third gender, bi-gender, trans man, trans woman, trans masculine, trans feminine and neutrois.

It’s always important to respect the language someone uses to define themselves. While the term trans generally encompasses people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth, some non-binary people don’t see themselves as trans. Non-binary people can feel that their gender identity and gender experience involves being both a man and a woman, or that it is fluid, in between, or completely outside of that binary. Non-binary identities are varied and can include people who identify with some aspects of binary identities, while others reject them entirely. Non-binary is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity doesn’t sit comfortably with ‘man’ or ‘woman’. Let’s start with the basics - what does non-binary refer to?

But do you know what it means to be non-binary? And do you know how you can better support non-binary people? Here are some ideas! News Blog Communities Education & youth Social exclusionġ4 July is International Non-Binary People’s Day, which aims to celebrate the wide range of people worldwide who identify as non-binary.

Gender fluid meaning flag