Sharing pronouns is a small but powerful gesture that can greatly impact how we communicate with and support our colleagues, friends, and acquaintances. Recently, Microsoft Teams introduced a new option for adding pronouns, reflecting the growing awareness of the importance of this practice. Additionally, individuals now incorporate pronouns into their UCL email signatures and social media profiles.

What Does it Mean to Share Your Pronouns?

Sharing pronouns means openly communicating how you would like to be addressed and referred to regarding gender. It’s a simple way to let others know how you identify and how you wish to be recognised. Whether you identify as transgender, non-binary, or cisgender, sharing pronouns is an act of respect and acknowledging the diversity of gender identities.

Why Might Someone Choose to Share Pronouns?

Putting pronouns on our email signatures and social media accounts can have a number of benefits:

1. Expressing Identity: Trans and non-binary individuals can use shared pronouns to express how they would like to be addressed, ensuring that their gender identity is respected.
2. Support and Solidarity: People who feel that their gender identity is already clear to others can use pronouns to show support for trans and non-binary colleagues, promoting an inclusive and affirming environment.
3. Clarification: For those whose names do not immediately indicate their gender identity, adding pronouns can help colleagues address them appropriately, reducing potential confusion.

How Should I Use Information About Other People’s Pronouns?

Respecting and using someone’s preferred pronouns is essential. It shows that you acknowledge and validate their identity. However, mistakes can happen, and that’s okay. Correcting these mistakes should be done respectfully. If you make a mistake, apologise briefly and correct yourself without making it a big deal. For example, if someone prefers “they/them” pronouns and you accidentally use “he,” simply say, “I’m sorry, they.”

Do I Have to Add My Own Pronouns?

No. There are also reasons why adding pronouns to our communications might not be appropriate for some colleagues – now or ever.

1. Not Ready to Share: Some people might not be ready to disclose their true gender identity to colleagues, and that’s perfectly okay. Respecting their privacy is paramount.
2. Undecided Preferences: Others may still be exploring their gender identity or may not have strong preferences. Forcing them to declare pronouns can be stressful and counterproductive.

To sum up, sharing pronouns is a simple yet impactful way to promote inclusivity and respect in our interactions. It allows individuals to express their gender identity, supports their trans and non-binary colleagues, and helps clarify ambiguous situations. Respect and understanding are at the core of this practice, and it’s perfectly acceptable if someone chooses not to share their pronouns for personal reasons. The key is to create an environment where everyone’s gender identity is acknowledged and respected.

Written by Prof Carolyn McGettigan, LGBTQ+ Equity Lead.

The MS Teams platform at UCL now includes a pronoun feature, promoting a more inclusive environment for students and staff. While asking individuals for preferred pronouns is always recommended, this addition is a useful tool, particularly for a widely-used platform among UCL students and staff.

What are pronouns?

According to Central EDI at UCL, pronouns are used to refer to someone or something that is being talked about, for example, “she”, “them”, “this” and “it”.

We use gender pronouns (e.g. “she/her”, “he/him” and “they/them”) to refer to people without using their names. We may assume a person’s gender based on their name, appearance, voice, and/or expression, and “assign” a pronoun, however, this may not always be correct.

Why are Pronouns Important?

Gender pronouns might not seem important to those who have never had to worry about them. However, for people who face frequent gender-related inquiries or are misgendered, it is important to specify or share their pronouns. Feeling left out and isolated can be a very difficult experience to cope with.

Some individuals may relate to genders that differ from the sex they were assigned at birth. Additionally, some individuals may not identify with any particular gender, while others may identify with multiple genders.

How can you Add Pronouns on Microsoft Teams?

Adding your pronouns on Teams is an easy 3-step process. First, click on your circle image or initials located in the upper right corner. Second, click on your name and email. Finally, select “add pronouns” and add your preferred pronouns accordingly.

For a visual demonstration, read the Microsoft instructions.

The Faculty of Brain Sciences Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee are running a series of one-to-one interviews to collect data on the experiences of LGBTQ+ staff. The interview will take place with a researcher online using MS Teams and will last around 60 minutes. 

The Project Team are Prof Carolyn McGettigan (Principal Investigator) and Dr Nick Anim (Senior Research Fellow). 

Data collected will inform FBS’ EDI action planning and will allow us to improve our understanding of the experiences of LGBTQ+ staff and students, so we can address inequities and create a more inclusive culture.  

Specifically, the project aims to explore:  

1. Positive and negative experiences for LGBTQ+ staff and students.  
2. Perceptions and motivations of success, as well as any barriers in achieving them.  
3. Perceptions of belonging and the degree to which this is felt within departments, as well as the wider Faculty and Students’ Union UCL.  
4. Whether there have been experiences of discrimination on campus, and if so, how these have been addressed.  
5. Put forward recommendations/suggestions to improve the experiences of LGBTQ+ staff and students in FBS.  

To participate in an interview, you must be:  

• any member of staff in FBS (professional services / academic / research/teaching): if you’re unsure, see the list of eligible divisions and institutes below 
• self-identify as LGBTQ+. Note: You do not need to provide any details of your specific LGBTQ+ identity OR have formally shared information about this with anyone at UCL.  

If you would like to find out more, require information in alternative formats, and/or participate in an interview, email Nick Anim (nick.anim.12@alumni.ucl.ac.uk) by Friday 12^th May. 

Watch this short video from Carolyn with a few words about the motivation for the study.

This study has UCL Research Ethics Committee approval (Ethics ID Number: 22961/001)

Eligible Institutes and Divisions in the Faculty of Brain Sciences 

• Division of Psychiatry 
• Division of Psychology and Language Sciences
• Ear Institute
• Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
• Queen Square Institute of Neurology
• Institute of Ophthalmology
• Institute of Prion Diseases (MRC Prion Unit at UCL)
• UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL
• UCL Institute of Mental Health

The Brain Sciences LGBTQ+ Equity subcommittee would like to recruit new members to help support our projects. The committee meets at least once a term and is open to staff and research students in the Faculty who identify as LGBTQ+ or who have a significant interest/experience in LGBTQ+ equity. At this time we particularly encourage applications from trans and non-binary colleagues. You can read more about our team here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-sciences/about-faculty/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/lgbtq-equity-brain-sciences. To apply to join the group, please send a brief expression of interest to Carolyn McGettigan (c.mcgettigan@ucl.ac.uk).

Colleagues can also sign up to our FBS LGBTQ+ and Out@BrainSciences Teams groups to stay in touch with the latest announcements and updates on LGBTQ+ Equity in the Faculty.

Written by the Faculty LGBTQ+ Equity Lead, Carolyn McGettigan