International Transgender Day of Visibility
Western Sydney University proudly supports our transgender community.
Trans Day of Visibility is an annual international celebration of trans pride and awareness, recognising trans and gender diverse experiences and achievements.
On 31 March celebrate with trans and gender diverse people by sharing stories, starting conversations, and attending events.
Additional information can be found at:
Pronouns
You may have noticed in all different environments, including at the University, that people are sharing their pronouns when they introduce themselves, in email signatures, on nametags and during online classes and meetings.
Pronouns are those words that we use to refer to people when we’re not using their name. They are one of the simplest ways that we can be more inclusive of trans and gender diverse students and staff.
ACON have developed a Pronouns Guide which provides a good introduction to what pronouns are, why they are important and how you can navigate the use of pronouns in everyday life.
https://www.prideinclusionprograms.com.au/content/uploads/2020/12/PID-Pronoun-Guide-2020.pdf
There are examples below of some of the ways you can use pronouns in your daily tasks here at the University.
Email signature
Zoom title
Zoom titles can be amended when joining a meeting and saved for all future meetings as can be seen in the screenshot below:
Event name tag
What can I do from here?
There are some simple actions that you can take as you begin learning about and using pronouns:
- Address people by their correct pronouns. If you are aware of a person’s pronouns it is very important that you use them. It shows respect for the person you are communicating with or about. Not using a person’s pronouns can be quite harmful.
- If you mistakenly refer to someone by the wrong pronoun, simply apologise and continue whilst being mindful not to repeat the mistake. Using pronouns correctly can take practice.
- Communicate your own pronouns. Add your pronouns to your email signature, your Zoom title and any other place that you display your name. This is an easy way to make our environment more inclusive and to help others feel comfortable in sharing their pronouns.
If you would like to learn more about ways to support trans and gender diverse students and staff, you may like to attend the next Ally Network training session, or training as part of our Pride In DIversity membership. Details for all training sessions offered can be found at:
https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/equity-and-diversity/about/training_and_events/training.