Rethinking Gendered Language as a Form of Allyship

Allyship in the workplace can come in many forms; from simply introducing yourself with your pronouns to advocating for gender-neutral language, there are many ways you can show up for your non-binary colleagues. Fostering a workplace culture that centres inclusion is everyone's responsibility and also benefits everyone - no one should have to hide a part of who they are every day because of fear of discrimination, and we all do a better job when people can show up wholly as themselves and feel accepted. Allyship may look different to everyone, but being visible in this will help your non-binary colleagues know that they are safe around you; a beacon to exemplify that you will accept them and advocate for them. This Non-binary Awareness Week, Maria Stacker Duran from Danaher wants to shine a light on how we can all make small adjustments to our language in an effort to support the non-binary community.

It is important to rethink common gendered phrases and adjust by using more inclusive:

1. Say: “Hello, everyone!” or “All of you” rather than: “Ladies and gentlemen” or “You guys.”
2. Say: “Job responsibilities include...” rather than “His or her job responsibilities include...”
3. Use the name of the person rather than he or she.
4. Introduce pronouns early. When introducing yourself to new team members, include your names and pronouns: “Hi, I’m Maria! My pronouns are she/her. Welcome to the team!”
5. If companies have single-staff restrooms, consider converting them to all-gender facilities.

Maria Stacker Duran from Danaher