A gender pronoun…
… is "the pronoun that a person chooses to use for themselves" to describe their gender. That can mean that even if a person was assigned female at birth (known as AFB), they may use masculine pronouns to describe themselves, depending on what suits their gender expression. People may also choose to use gender-neutral pronouns such as “they, them and theirs” and neo pronouns such as ze, xe, and sie.
What are gender pronouns in business email communication?
Gender pronouns are words that a person prefers other people to use when talking to or about them.
Here is a gender pronouns list and the use cases:
He/him/his can be used by those who might identify as male.
She/her/hers are for those who might identify as female.
They/them/their are usually used by someone who might not identify strictly as female or male. These pronouns are not only used when referring to multiple people but also considered “gender-neutral.”
Ze/hir/hirs can replace both he/him/his and she/her/hers.
Ey/em/eirs can replace both he/him/his and she/her/hers.
➖ “A manager is responsible for his/her team.”
➕ “A manager is responsible for their team.”
Why does sharing gender pronouns at work matter?
Adding pronouns to an email signature being cisgender is a simple way to signal to others that you recognize and respect everyone’s gender identity. For many transgender people, this is a convenient way to show others the pronouns by which they would like to be referred to. However, we can also see cisgender people (those who identify themselves with the sex assigned to them at birth) including pronouns in their email signatures too.
Not every transgender or nonbinary person feels brave enough to start sharing gender pronouns in emails at a new workplace, especially when no one else in the team does the same. In such situations, cisgender people can lead the change by sharing gender pronouns.
Don’t assume someone’s gender…
Adding pronouns to your email is also a good step to help some people be open with you. By sharing your own pronouns, they have the option to share theirs without you needing to ask them directly.