It can be both joyful and extra challenging to live authentically as a non-binary or transgender person. When politicians and social media amplify hurtful transphobic messages, it gets harder.

As UUs, we believe and our principles affirm that all people deserve care and connection, whatever our gender identity or expression. One of the ways we connect and care for each other is by using the pronouns and names that people ask us to use for them (please NEVER call me Christy.)

Our congregation includes transgender and non-binary members and friends. Normalizing sharing pronouns is important so that people are not misgendered. When those of us who use gendered pronouns (like the she/her I use) share our pronouns, those of us who use different pronouns aren’t the only ones who feel they need to share.

Sharing pronouns is always optional and voluntary, of course. Some people may not feel ready or safe to share the personal pronouns they use. But if you’re feeling brave and/or compassionate, we have stickers to make it easier to share, and to use the right gender when speaking to fellow congregants!

To provide visual clues, we now have bilingual (English/French) personal pronoun stickers available at the greeter’s table on Sunday mornings, so that if you choose you can add your pronouns to your nametag or lapel.
There are
🧡 orange stickers for she/elle,
💚 green for he/il,
💜 purple for they/iel,
🌈 a rainbow blank circle to write in if none of those are the right ones.

Use as many stickers as apply! Octavia MacIsaac, who shared earlier this year that they are embracing the non-binary and using she/they pronouns, has both an orange and a purple sticker.

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce shares more on ways to be inclusive using gender pronouns and gender-inclusive language: https://www.winnipeg-chamber.com/gender-pronouns/