In the past decade, the expression and recognition of social identities has become increasingly prevalent. With this comes opportunities for people to be their true selves, and it also draws attention to the discussion of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As someone who grew up in a small town, I was not exposed to many social identities until college. On campus, I quickly met a variety of people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. These new relationships, combined with my communication classes at Texas A&M University, allowed me to learn about the challenges that members of marginalized communities face.
These conversations went beyond awareness by providing me with the knowledge and skills on how I could try to help limit microaggressions and biases. As a way to continue to do my part, here are 5 subtle ways to be more inclusive in everyday situations.
1. Introduce yourself with your pronouns
This small gesture is a way to help everyone in a room feel included regarding their gender identity. It gives people the opportunity to respond with their pronouns and helps limit gender assumptions. You can do this by being straightforward and saying something like “My name is Sydnie and I use she/her pronouns.”
2. Be Mindful of your communication habits
In the past, I used to greet groups of people by saying something like “Hey guys!” I recognize now that using gendered forms of address like “bro,” “queen,” “dude,” or “girly” may create an uncomfortable environment for people who don’t fall within those identity categories. Some forms of address you can use instead are “friends,” “everybody,” and “y’all.”
3. Don’t single out other’s identities
If you don’t know someone’s social identity and being made aware of it is relevant and beneficial to the situation, it’s important to not single out the person when you ask. For example, if someone didn’t introduce themself with their pronouns, you can wait until you have a private opportunity to share yours with them so they can do the same.
4. Avoid Stereotypes and Assumptions
While I feel like this tip has been harped on quite a bit in the past, I still think it’s important to mention since social identities are so fluid. Stereotypes and assumptions tend to do more harm than good, so you should try your best to avoid them. Additionally, you should also avoid making jokes or remarks at the expense of someone else’s identity.
5. Recognize and BE Responsible for your mistakes
People make mistakes. If you happen to misgender someone or accidentally assume something about their culture, religion, or identity in general, hold yourself accountable. This looks like listening to the person’s feedback and response to your slip-up, educating yourself on the identity, and/or apologizing for your mistake.
Implementing these subtle techniques into everyday interactions will help create comfortable, inclusive environments. Before you know it, you’ll be habitually greeting others as “friends” and inspire others to do the same.