Today is International Non-Binary People's Day, and we've put a few top tips together to help us all become better allies to non-binary people:
- Dont make assumptions - This could be based on a person's appearance, name, or anything else. People who are non-binary don't owe the world androgyny. They may have a name you identify one with gender or another, but that doesn't mean that's how they identify.
- Do your research - It can be tiring being on binary and having people ask questions of you all the time. There are plenty of articles and forums online to help our with any queries you have. Or you can reach out to us at Kaleidoscope on lgbt-staff@bath.ac.uk and we'll do our best to help!
- Make an effort with pronouns - Using the pronoun ‘they’ is very useful when someone’s gender or identity is unknown. Once you know someone’s pronouns ensure you use the ones you have been asked to use. You can try introducing yourself with your pronouns to new people!
- Start consciously amending your language - Instead of addressing groups of people with binary language such as ‘ladies and gentlemen’, try more inclusive alternatives such as ‘folks’, ‘pals’ or ‘everyone’. Use words that define the relationship instead of the relationship and gender. For example, use ‘parents’, ‘partner’, ‘children’ or ‘siblings’.
- Online representation - Put your pronouns in your email signature and Teams profile. Even if you think is ‘obvious’ what your pronouns are, it makes it ‘normalised’ for everyone to share their pronouns and could make a non-binary person feel more comfortable to share theirs.
Happy International Non-Binary People's Day!
Respond
