Why personal pronouns matter at Environmental Initiative

Honoring gender diversity and creating a gender-inclusive environment is an important part of the culture and policy at Environmental Initiative.

We work from an understanding that our use of personal pronouns affirms identity and shows respect to our colleagues.

A pronoun is a way to refer to someone without using their name. The words that you would like others to refer to you by, such as “she/her/hers,” are your personal pronouns.

We share our name and personal pronouns in email signatures, on video calls, on business cards, in meetings, and many more places to help create a welcoming space for everyone. This work also requires effort and humility in our day-to-day interactions.

For example, it is common to assume someone’s pronouns based on their name or the way they look, but many people use pronouns that may not match our assumptions.

Using pronouns that differ from our initial assumptions can feel awkward or uncomfortable at first, and we might get them wrong, but correcting ourselves is an easy step to take. Simply make the correction, apologize briefly, and move on in the conversation. We believe the best way to show support is to avoid making excuses and commit to getting our peers’ pronouns right moving forward.

Using the correct pronouns is just one step toward making everyone around us feel valued.

We celebrate humanity and support having pride in the expansive spectrum of gender identity – every day.

Learn more about the importance of pronouns:

• What are personal pronouns and why do they matter? – Pronouns.org
• Why we ask each other our pronouns – Human Rights Campaign
• Talking about pronouns in the workplace – Human Rights Campaign