It’s up to you.
- Woman: she/her/hers
Sam feels more comfortable when she is addressed with female pronouns in her email communication. It makes her feel good. - Man: he/him/his
Sam feels more comfortable when he is addressed with male pronouns in his email communication. It makes him feel good. - Non-binary: they/them/theirs
Sam feels more comfortable when they are addressed with non-binary pronouns in their email communication. It makes them feel good.
Or a combination of all of the above.
Tips
- Let others know which pronouns suit you.
- You could include your pronouns in your email signature and add a link to this webpage.
- Don’t blindly assume what people identify as based on their name or appearance: non-binary, (trans) man, (trans) woman …
- Not sure whether to use they, he or she? ‘They’ is your safest option in that case. It’s both neutral and clear.
- Above all, use ‘you’ where possible. This is much more personal.
- Want to know more about gender-neutral language (a work in progress): https://lgbtlifecenter.org/pronouns/.
That way you help ensure that all genders feel respected.
Good to know
- One pronoun that fits all? Finnish has one: hän/hänen.
- Oops, did you use the wrong pronoun? No problem, to err is human (m/f/x).
