SBCERS is “committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibility by providing the highest quality of service to all members and plan sponsors…”
We at SBCERS want to provide an inclusive environment where we don’t make assumptions or pass judgment on each other. So if a person chooses to tell you their pronouns (in their signature line or otherwise), they are simply letting you know how you can refer to them, without you having to make any assumptions. Using someone’s correct personal pronouns is a way to respect them and create an inclusive environment, just as using a person’s name can be a way to respect them.
What are Pronouns (or “Gender Pronouns”)?
Pronouns are how we identify ourselves apart from our name and how someone refers to you in conversation. People can have multiple sets of pronouns for themselves (such as using he/him/his and they/them/theirs). Pronouns are not “preferred” but instead are required for respectful communication. Not only transgender or nonbinary communities use pronouns, as it is something we all use in conversation.
If someone feels the need to state their pronouns, does it mean they are transgender and/or gender non-conforming?
If someone decides to tell you their pronouns, it does not automatically mean they are transgender or gender non-conforming. Everyone has a gender identity, and most of us have specific pronouns we’d like people to use when we are being referred to. Most of us are privileged in that when someone guesses our pronouns, they’ll get them right. However, that’s not the case for everyone. So when someone tells you their pronouns, it is a way of saying “rather than operating in a system where we assume each other’s gender and automatically attach pronouns to each other, I’ll instead let you know what pronouns to use when referring to me.”