At the University of Memphis, sharing pronouns and asking people’s pronouns is a valued
practice showing respect for the people with whom you interact.
We all use pronouns to refer to each other on a regular basis and pronouns imply gender.
In the U.S., people tend to assume someone’s gender identity based on their appearance
or at times, their name. Our assumptions are not always correct which can send a
powerful and damaging message: you must look a certain way to signal your gender.
In the case of your course rosters, we sometimes look to see a student’s sex assigned
at birth and assume their pronouns based on that, which is not always correct. So
please share your pronouns and ask others theirs.
