Gender Diversity.
History of Gender and Sexual Diversity
The LGBT rights movement in the US was kickstarted in 1969 with the Stonewall riots.
The rainbow flag was designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker.
President Obama announced the designation of the first national monument to LGBTQ+ rights in 2016.
About Pronouns
How we refer to someone in place of using their name (“if you’re talking about me in a sentence, use they/them”)
Can be singular or plural
We can’t assume a person’s pronouns by the way they look
People—especially youth—might explore different pronouns. Be respectful, do your best to adapt
Introduce yourself with your pronouns and leave people room to share theirs
You might ask however be sure that it is safe to do so
Misgendering – using wrong pronoun (one-word apology (Sorry), correct yourself (I see your gender and affirm it) and move on.)
If correcting someone – reflect sentence back at them. (ie ‘You’re right, they are…’)
One in three adults (ages 18-29) know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns. (Geiger & Graf, 2019)
Merriam-Webster adds the singular use of they into its dictionary and named they as its word of the year after internet searches for the term rose by 313% from the previous year (Locker, 2019).
While the non-binary community’s embrace of they is a relatively newer concept, the use of they in singular form is not. In fact, they has been used in singular form for over 600 years because the English language famously lacks a gender-neutral singular pronoun to correspond neatly with singular pronouns like everyone or someone (Locker, 2019).
Understanding Terminology.
SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression)
Gender and Sexual Minorities
Gay, Queer and Trans Communities
LGBTQ, LGBTQ2S+, LBGTQIA, etc…
Binary is Artificial. It’s a gradient.
Remember that people define and describe their identities in various ways
It is most important to listen to how people talk about their own experience and identity and never assume
Learn about LGBTQ identities and common terminology in advance but match the individual’s language
All content adapted and abridged from Michelle LaRue unless otherwise cited.