Ethena’s Post

Why we should normalize sharing pronouns in the workplace: Pronouns are crucial for affirming someone's gender identity, fostering inclusivity, and creating a psychologically safe environment for all employees. Guessing or misusing pronouns can be offensive and contribute to a lack of respect for individuals' identities, especially for those who identify as intersex, transgender, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming. Using non-binary pronouns is a personal choice that individuals make for various reasons, such as questioning their gender identity, transitioning gender identity, or identifying outside of the binary genders of man and woman. Here are some practical tips for you to normalize pronoun usage: ❤️ Be mindful that gender expression may not always align with gender identity - don't assume. 🧡 Practice using different pronouns, when you are alone, to enhance your familiarity and comfort. 💛 Share your pronouns when introducing yourself in-person or on virtual platforms to promote gender inclusivity awareness. 💚 Consider adding pronouns to your Zoom name and email signature - this signals to others that you understand that gender cannot be assumed. 💙 Respect others' privacy by not requiring them to share their pronouns if they choose not to. 💜 Use they/them/theirs pronouns if someone doesn't disclose their pronouns - it is a safe and neutral alternative to avoid misgendering. In case you use incorrect pronouns: 🌟 Accept corrections gracefully, apologize, and commit to using the correct pronouns in the future. 🌟 Acknowledge the mistake and show willingness to learn and improve. Let's create a workplace where everyone feels respected, seen, and valued for who they are. #PronounsMatter #Inclusivity #DiversityAndInclusion

Embracing LGBTQAI+ terminology is crucial for fostering inclusivity and respect. With the help of our good pals at @Cara-Friend, you can find an easily accessible LGBTQAI+ Glossary on the DiverseTalent.ai Resource tab: https://zurl.co/LtZ3 By using language that acknowledges and respects individuals' gender identities and sexual orientations, we create a supportive environment where everyone can thrive. Correctly using LGBTQAI+ terminology demonstrates a workplace commitment to diversity and equality, encouraging employees to bring their authentic selves to work. This not only enhances morale and productivity but also helps attract and retain top talent. #InclusiveWorkplace #Inclusion #Diversity #Recruitment #HR

Navigating relationships can be complex, but understanding gender identity and expression can make a world of difference. At Intimacy in Progress, we believe in fostering relationships built on empathy and respect. 🔍 Key Insights: • Gender Identity: It’s how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. It’s a deeply personal experience. • Gender Expression: This is how individuals present their gender through actions, dress, and behavior. 💡 Why It Matters: • Respecting your partner’s gender identity and expression can strengthen your bond and build a more supportive relationship. • Open and honest communication is essential. Ask questions, listen actively, and be willing to learn. 🤝 Tips for Partners: • Create a safe space for your partner to express themselves. • Educate yourself about different gender identities and expressions. • Support your partner’s journey without judgment. Let’s work together to create more inclusive and understanding relationships. Share your experiences and let’s continue the conversation on how we can support our partners better. Learn about Intimacy in Progress: https://lnkd.in/gGgeN2as #GenderIdentity #Relationships #Inclusivity #IntimacyInProgress

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐆𝐁𝐓𝐐𝐈𝐀+ 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧? 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 I have spent a lot of time talking about the “T,” but the term LGBTQIA+ actually represents a wide range of gender identities and sexual orientations, unified by shared experiences and the fight for equality: 🔸 𝐋 - 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐧: Women attracted to other women. 🔸 𝐆 - 𝐆𝐚𝐲: Men attracted to other men. 🔸 𝐁 - 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥: Attracted to more than one gender. It’s currently Bisexuality Awareness Week (16 – 23 September). #BiWeek 🔸 𝐓 - 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫: Gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth. 🔸 𝐐 - 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐫/𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: * 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐫: A reclaimed umbrella term used by people who don’t fit within traditional sexual or gender norms. * 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Those who are still exploring or unsure of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 🔸 𝐈 - 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐱: Born with sex characteristics that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female. 🔸 𝐀 - 𝐀𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥: Do not experience sexual attraction, or experience it to varying degrees. The “➕” symbol includes other identities such as pansexual, non-binary, gender-fluid, and more, acknowledging the full diversity of human experience. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫? The LGBTQIA+ acronym reflects a shared history of marginalisation and the fight for equal rights. While the individual identities within the acronym each face unique challenges, the strength of the movement comes from unity. Together, these communities have a louder voice, advocating not just for their own rights but for the rights of all marginalised identities. Feel free to share or tag someone who might find this helpful. 🌈 #LivingMyTruth30 | Day 23/30 🏳️⚧️

The 31st March every year is #TransgenderDayOfVisibility. This day is an opportunity to celebrate transgender, non-binary, two-spirit and gender-expansive folks.  I'm not trans, but I do want to share a bit about what it means to be #GenderQueer, like me. Being genderqueer means my gender identity doesn't fit neatly into the binary social construct of man or woman that we typically find in modern-day North America and Europe. I don't exclusively identify as either. Instead, my gender is more blurred and falls somewhere in between or outside of those two categories. I first opened up about this nearly 45 years ago. I see gender and sex as separable aspects of my identity. Accordingly, I acknowledge that my sex was recorded as male at birth, and that’s fine. This has little to do with my gender identity or my gender expression. Some days I feel more feminine, other days more masculine, and often somewhere in the middle. I am a genderqueer male. I use they/them pronouns, although I don't flinch or bristle at the occasional he/him, especially as I present more often with a masculine gender expression e.g. having a beard or wearing clothes designed for and marketed at men. Being 193cm tall with size 47 feet does tend to lead me to towards the 'mens' section in stores! 😂 It's interesting to me how hung-up parts of the media are on gender expression stereotypes. I believe that this in turn impacts the way many people across society feel about what's 'normal' in relation to which hairstyles, make-up, clothes, and mannerisms 'belong' to which group of people. To me, the idea that certain hairstyles, make-up choices, clothes of mannerisms are for the sole use by people of one particular sex or gender is just nonsense. But not all genderqueer people are the same - we're a diverse bunch us humans! 💙 Some use she/her/hers or he/him/his pronouns, or neopronouns like xe/xem/xyr or ze/hir/hirs. 💜 Some present in a more traditionally feminine or masculine way. The common thread is not identifying exclusively as man or woman. Our genders are queer, fluid, non-binary, and beautifully uncategorisable. Being trans, or gender-expansive in any way, is challenging when many folks in society want to label you based on what they see and how that fits their stereotypes around sex and gender. Many trans and 'gender-nonconforming' people often have to advocate for themselves and explain their identity - sometimes being met with a hostile reaction. But #VisibilityMatters. The more that people understand that gender is a spectrum, the more acceptance there will be. So here I am, showing up authentically as my genderqueer self. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ #InternationalTransgenderDayOfVisibility #TransDayOfVisibility #TDOV #InternationalTransDayOfVisibility #Transgender #Trans #NonBinary #GenderNonConforming #Queer #GenderFluid #GenderExpansive #LGBTQPlus Image description: Tony wearing a black dress and sparkly make-up holding a silver handbag.

While meeting my clients… I first introduce myself followed by my preferred gender pronouns and I try to ask theirs too. (whether He/She/They etc..) After I do this, I often get comments from colleagues like, "Why are you promoting LGBTQIA+ at workplace so much…???” My response is to tell them smilingly that I simply want them to know my preferred gender so that misgendering stops and people do not get hurt and feel safe. And gender pronouns has nothing to do with only LGBTQIA+ people, in fact IT CAN BE USED BY EVERYONE. My gender is my expression of who I am. Gender identity is a choice that people exercise, It cannot be imposed by anyone else nor can it be assumed by anyone's appearance or voice or name!! There is a positive side to this story. Once the notion of binary gender is challenged, people become curious and interested in questions of ‘gender identity’ Moral of the story is sharp and short.. STOP MISGENDERING. #BeTheChange #diversityandinclusion #Pride #workplace #equality

Did you know that the largest group under the LGBTIQ+ umbrella are those attracted to more than one gender, such as pansexual, bisexual, or queer individuals? Yet, bi+ people face significant challenges in the workplace, from bullying to lack of recognition. It is time to break the monosexual norm and ensure truly inclusive environments. Employers and the government must take targeted actions to support bi+ inclusion. Let us push for change and create workplaces where everyone feels valued and accepted. #WorkplacePride #BiPlusVisibility #InclusiveWorkplaces #LGBTIQEquality Read more about the findings from Leiden University and Bi+ Netherlands: https://lnkd.in/d2X82vXp

Workplace Challenges of an Openly Transgender Woman While some of these challenges might be shared by other openly transgender women this is my perspective and some may be unique to me and or me and the construction industry. One hope from this is that at least one person will want to become more informed and a better ally to the transgender community. I would also hope that I provide informed encouragement to someone that is considering taking the brave step to bring their authentic self to work. None of these challenges have given me any second thoughts. I love being authentically me, challenges and all. In no particular order and not a complete list welcome to the workplace challenges of this openly transgender woman. I tend to have a sense of oneness. The best way that I can describe it is if you contemplate any nationality or race that is a minority and imagine being the only one of that group that you ever see. Never interacting with coworkers of your same group and not being aware of others in your group within your industry. When I was in the closet, I was certain that I was not the only closeted transgender person. I am also fairly sure that there are passable transgender people that transitioned in a way that was private and fully live as their authentic selves without their coworkers being aware of their birth assignment (not an option for me). The best way that I can describe another challenge would be to relate it to a chef. It is all about the presentation and I want to present at the three Michelin star level. No matter how I feel about my presentation when I start my day, as the day gets longer, I am less confident in my presentation. Going somewhere after work adds more complexity depending how long that going somewhere will be. There will always be that one (or more) coworker that feels it is their role to educate everyone about "they knew me when". They educate people about my dead name among other things (there is a significant reason why transgender people refer to it as a dead name, that person is dead). People that have only known me as Amber are never really able to know me as just Amber thanks to these workplace educators. Someone recently shared with me that they had seen pictures of my dead self. I think they thought that they were paying me a compliment. Definitely more unique to me is talking on the phone. I will get ma'am all day long in person (at least 98% of the time). I will get sir 100% of the time on the phone because I have a paralyzed vocal cord. My once wide vocal range, that effected femininity with ease, now at best can sound like an older woman that has smoked a lot of cigarettes. It usually goes like this: me: you know my name is Amber right? them: yes me: do you know of any Ambers that are a sir? them: no me: I am not one either them: I'm sorry sir me: [faceplant] I have run out of characters for this post. Maybe a part 2?

Let's take a step towards a more inclusive workplace! There is an increasing visibility of non-binary and gender expansive identities in our workplaces. The use of correct gender pronouns is a welcoming sign of respect that fosters an inclusive work environment and will lead to greater productivity and retention. #GenderPronouns #RespectfulWorkplace #InclusiveLeadership https://lnkd.in/ezSjj6j

A Guide to LGBTQIA+ Terms and Identities 🏳️🌈 Understanding LGBTQIA+ terms and identities in workplaces is essential for fostering an inclusive environment where all employees feel respected, valued, and able to bring their authentic selves to work. Here are some basic terms to know about: 👉 Sexual Orientation: Refers to who a person is attracted to emotionally, romantically, and sexually. 👉 Gender Identity: Gender identity is an individual's internal sense of their own gender, which may not align with their biological sex. LGBTQIA+ Breakdown: 👉 Lesbian (L): A woman or non-binary person who is attracted to other women or non-binary people. 👉 Gay (G): Describes men who are attracted to men. It can also be an umbrella term for anyone who is not heterosexual. 👉 Bisexual (B): Someone who is attracted to both their own gender and other genders. 👉 Transgender (T): Individuals whose gender identity does not align with their assigned sex at birth. 👉 Queer (Q): A reclaimed term for non-heterosexual and/or non-cisgender identities. 👉 Questioning (Q): A period when individuals explore their gender identity, gender expression, and/or sexual orientation. 👉 Intersex (I): Individuals with biological sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female. 👉 Asexual (A): Individuals who experience little or no sexual attraction to others. Asexuality is a spectrum with varying experiences of sexual attraction. 👉 Plus (+): Represents all other sexual orientations and gender identities not specifically covered by the previous letters. Embracing diversity not only enhances employee morale and productivity but also strengthens the company's reputation as a progressive and supportive organization. #DiversityAndInclusion #LGBTQIA #InclusiveWorkplace #GenderEquality #EmployeeWellbeing