PEACE @ UC D*vis

Glossaries of terms:

- [Human Rights Campaign] [Trevor Project] [Transgender Equality Network] [Stonewall.org] [Cornell - Trans Terms] [U of Massachusetts]

Terms to highlight:

Cis/heteronormativity: the assumption that cis gender identities and heterosexuality are the norm or default.

marginalizes QTILGB+ identities; creates the contexts for people to have to “come out”

Gender: socially constructed ways of categorizing human bodies, typically based upon differences in body anatomy.

Gender systems and categories vary according to culture; 

The culturally dominant gender system is binary -- consisting of “men” and “women” as opposite, distinct, and inflexible categories

Genders expand beyond this simply, reductive binary.

QTPOC: Queer/Transgender People of Color; QTPOC experience marginalization at both the intersections of their LGBTQIA+ identity and their identity as a person of color.

Holding QTPOC identity often compounds with marginalization in other areas -- class, ability, etc. -- due to discrimination in multiple fields (family, education/classrooms, employment, housing, health care, etc.)

Lives of QTPOC show us the importance of centering and meeting the needs of people with multiple marginal positions.

Historical Contexts for LGBTQIA+ Allyship

- Timeline of LGBT History in the United States

Ally Tips & Resources

Use Queer People’s Pronouns.

What are personal pronouns?

Words that refer to a person in place of their name. In English and many other languages, personal pronouns reflect gender. 

Binary or gendered pronouns (he/him/his or she/her/her) are most common. 

Eg. Jesse told her best friend a secret.

Non-binary or gender-neutral pronouns (they/them/theirs, ze/zem/zeirs, x/x/x’s, etc.) are also valid, and can be used in the same way as binary pronouns when referring to a single person.

Eg. Xavier went to the store to buy their groceries.  

Why should you use a person’s correct pronouns?

The pronouns you use to a refer to a person should reflect how that person wants to be referred.

Using a pronoun that misgenders any person is rude.

Misgendering trans, nonbinary, and intersex people often leads to feelings of isolation, dismissal, alienation, and dysphoria (deep feelings of discomfort in one’s own body brought bout by repressive gendered norms/expectations).

Consistent and institutionally permitted misgendering makes spaces unsafe, uncomfortable, and unwelcoming to people outside of the cis/hetero gender normative expectation. 

Create space to discuss pronouns openly

In community spaces, it is best to open space for people to discuss what pronouns they prefer before misgendering can occur.

For Facilitators, Teachers, Speakers, etc.:

Introducing your pronouns:

“Hi, my name is ___ and I use ___ pronouns”

she/her/her; they/them/theirs; he/him/they/them; xey/xem/xeirs; etc.

Have students/meeting members introduce themselves using their pronouns at the beginning of your class/meetings.

Ask students what their pronouns are.

Call in students/community members when they misgender someone.

Pro-actively check in with the person being misgendered about how best to support them/go about correcting someone.

Introducing pronouns into discussion eases the burden on transgender and queer people who would have to “out” themselves otherwise.

Pronouns resources: