Why You Should Have Your Pronouns In Your Bio Even If You’re Cis

Last month Instagram added a new feature that allows users to add their pronouns to their profile – here’s why you should have your pronouns in your bio even if you’re cisgender.

WHAT ARE PRONOUNS AND WHY DO THEY MATTER?

The most commonly used pronouns are He/Him, She/Her, and They/Them, but there are of course more that can be used such as Ze/hir, Xe/xem, Hy/hym and Co/cos. A pronoun is a word that refers to either the people talking or someone or something that is being talked about – in this case, we’re specifically talking about gender pronouns, so used when referring to someone.

If you’re cis-gendered, you probably never really think about the way people refer to you, however other people such as non-binary or trans people may have a very different experience. Struggling with gender identity issues can be an extremely sensitive subject and for a lot of transgender and non-binary people being correctly gendered is, of course, very important to them.

We spoke to Dani St James, founder of trans charity Not a Phase, about why pronouns and their use is a topic worth exploring if you haven’t already:

The importance of pronouns is by no means the be-all and end-all of the trans conversation that should be being had right now, although you’d be easily mistaken for thinking it is given the amount of space that it takes up.

With that said, that doesn’t detract from the correct usage’s significance. Not only does this prevent anyone from misgendering you, cis or otherwise, but it also is a signal to your peers that you are actively promoting an inclusive environment. In short, they take up next to no space and are a quick way to let people know that you’re a decent person – everyone wins!