With more people feeling confident in living their authentic lives in the corporate world, sometimes, the corporate world has to catch up with the times. Take pronouns, for instance. A few years ago, this wasn’t a topic, but with the recognition of ‘non-binary’ as a gender, a new set of pronouns has been introduced. To start, non-binary is an umbrella term for gender identities that are neither male nor female—identities that are outside the gender binary. They understand their gender in a way that goes beyond simply identifying as either a man or woman.
While it may seem like a new phenomenon, non-binary identities have been recognized by many different cultures for years. There are ‘two-spirit’ people in the many indigenous tribes and ‘Hijras’ in South Asian culture.
Non-binary people use ‘they’/’them’ pronouns. When you are talking about someone who is non-binary, you can say, “I saw them at the park today! They were having a picnic with some friends.” Also, you can use their name, “I saw Robin in the park today! Robin was having a picnic with some friends.”
Since this is new territory for many, here are some tips on how to be respectful of non-binary people.
- Before you even meet them, include their gender on your company application forms. This shows them that they are applying to a company that already sees them and respects them.
- Bathrooms can be challenging for non-binary people since they may not feel comfortable being in a male or female bathroom. It’s best to have unisex bathrooms to alleviate this issue, which has already been a trend in the workplace for over a decade.
- If you feel unsure about someone’s pronouns, ask. “Hi Robin, great to meet you! What are your pronouns? Mine are he/his.” This is a warm, genuine way to get to know this person.
- It’s ok to make mistakes! If you call someone the wrong pronoun, apologize and move on.
Employees who may need more help understanding this identity can reach out to a Boon coach to dig deeper and ask questions in a safe space. Alternatively, if you have non-binary employees who would like a safe space to open up to someone, Boon has coaches who work with and are a part of the LGBTQ community.
Cator Sparks
