He/she. Her/him
As we approach the end of this February’s LGBT History Month, our LGBT+ & Friends network would like to thank colleagues for their ongoing support and remind people of how they can avoid ‘misgendering.’
Misgendering occurs when someone intentionally or unintentionally refers to a person, or uses language, especially a pronoun or form of address, to describe a person that does not correctly align or reflect the gender with which they identify. For example, referring to a woman as ‘he’ or calling her a ‘guy’ is an act of misgendering.
Press play to hear what you can do to help prevent misgendering.
For people who are transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming, coming into their authentic gender can be an important and affirming step in life.
Misgendering can sometimes be a deliberate act. People who have discriminatory beliefs and ideas about the trans community can use misgendering as a tactic for harassment and bullying. When done deliberately, it can be deeply hurtful to trans people. If you hear people do this, stand up as an ally and challenge the person saying it.
Why does misgendering occur?
There are a number of reasons why misgendering happens. For example, people may notice that a person has primary or secondary sex characteristics and make assumptions about that person’s gender.
This includes a person’s:
- facial hair or lack thereof
- a high or low vocal range
- chest or breast tissue or lack thereof
LGBT charity Stonewall has developed a ‘Truth about trans’ Q&A for those interested in learning about some of the more common questions asked about trans people.
Supporting our Transgender colleagues
Our Trans* network is a sub-group of our LGBT+& Friends steering group. To date, the Trans* network, which was set up in 2015, has supported a number of colleagues who were struggling with transgender issues. If you have any questions about transgender issues or any other LGBT-related subject, please contact LGBT&Friends@royalmail.com.
