A video was released by Columbia University explaining that “intentionally misgendering someone” is against the school’s nondiscrimination policy and could result in employees losing their position.
The YouTube video, titled “Why Pronouns Matter”, discusses the use of pronouns and explains that “using correct pronouns is a way to respect those around you”.
In addition to “she/her” and “he/him” pronouns, some people use “they/them,” “xe/xem,” “ze/hir,” “per/pers” and “ey/em”.
It also explains that “if someone’s pronouns are ‘she/they,’ that’s just a quicker way to indicate that a person uses she, her, hers and they, them, theirs pronouns”.
The video states that “Intentionally misgendering someone by refusing to use the correct pronouns or name is a violation of the Columbia University nondiscrimination policy”.
Columbia University says any violation of the nondiscrimination policy can lead to a formal warning or even termination of employment. The website explains that “unintentional and occasional misuse of a pronoun is not discrimination”, but staff are encouraged to avoid using incorrect pronouns.
The school suggests people include their pronouns in introductions and add them to their emails and bios on social media.
