Recently you might have noticed that more people are sharing their personal pronouns on their LinkedIn profiles, Zoom accounts, and social media platforms. And if you’re anything like me (admittedly late to the pronoun party), then you may not understand why.

As an advocate for veterinary professional wellbeing and in honour of Pride Month, my mission for June has been to learn how to be a better ally to LGBTQIA+ veterinary professionals. And, on my journey of reading, learning, and growing my understanding of how to support the LGBTQIA+ community, I have gained a much better grasp of why pronouns matter.

Personal pronouns are often used to refer to an individual in place of their proper name. They also come with an assumption about the person’s gender; for example, using she or her to refer to a woman and he or him to a man. 

And the reason why these assumptions can come across as insensitive or even harmful, is that the person to whom you are referring may not identify with the gender that is implied by their appearance, leading to discomfort and resentment in having to ignore or correct you. Similarly, some individuals do not identify with either gender binary and may instead use other pronouns such as they and them or their name in place of pronouns.   

As a cis-gender female whose personal identity, appearance, and gender corresponds with my birth sex, I have gender privilege, which means that how society views me matches how I see myself. This is not the case for many LGBTQIA+ individuals who are subjugated by a lack of respect for or acknowledgement of their gender identity.

Dr. Dane Whitaker says it best in his article in AAHA’s Trends Magazine: “In recognizing the importance of personal pronouns and advocating for their use, we can start to create a culture of inclusion for those around us and begin to eliminate this form of oppression”. Dr. Whitaker goes on to share some helpful and enlightening dos and don’ts of personal pronoun use.

Among them, Dr. Whitaker suggests proactively sharing your personal pronouns to demonstrate that you acknowledge and value individuals of all gender identities and expressions. In doing so, you provide a safe space for others to offer their personal pronouns. For example, “Hi, I’m Dr. Marie Holowaychuk and my personal pronouns are she, her, and hers. What brings you into the ER today?”

If you do not feel comfortable doing this verbally when introducing yourself to clients, then you can do so in written form such as on your name tag, business card, or stethoscope clip (available for purchase at PrideVMC.org). Other opportunities for sharing pronouns include in your email signature or at the bottom of a signed letter.  

It’s also important to ensure that all members of the veterinary team, including new and existing employees, feel comfortable to state their pronouns. This can be achieved by including pronouns in team member introductions or at staff meetings. Personal pronouns can also be solicited during employee on-boarding when individuals are sharing other personal information.

As you begin to use and share pronouns more visibly and more often, you may come across clients or team members who are confused or curious as to the reasons behind it. If that’s the case, you will want to have resources available to share with them. I found the website www.mypronouns.org to be incredibly helpful in explaining what personal pronouns are, why they matter, how to use or share them, and what to do if you or someone else make a mistake and mis-pronoun someone else.

I am grateful for this new understanding of the importance of personal pronouns and thank Dr. Dane Whitaker and others for sharing their knowledge, expertise, and personal experience with others. I will do my best, moving forward, to share my pronouns consistently, with the intention of creating a culture that accepts and supports all veterinary professionals, regardless of gender identity.