The importance of words in making us feel safe & appreciated
Recently, a guest speaker spoke to our class about gender and writing, but one thing specifically stood out to me.
Language creates community through shared experiences and communication.
I've always been aware of this, but for some odd reason, I've never considered it in terms of the LGBTQ community. Pronouns and other gender-specific words bring comfort and safety to the LGBTQ community. These gendered words can, in a way, be considered slang. Slang is defined as a type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people.
Slang is the part of the language that gives a commonly spoken language unique elements that are unique to yourself and your community. I'm not saying LGBTQ "language" is specifically slang, but it is comparable in terms of the connectedness the words they speak bring to the community. In my own life and the communities that I am a part of, the slang I speak is the slang all my friends speak. The words we use are specific to us and our community. These words are rich in context, one utterance speaks volumes.
Announcing your gender pronouns when introducing yourself is considered to some, an annoyance and against their free speech (especially when forced to do so in legislation). For the LGBTQ community, announcing your pronouns is more than just your pronouns, it tells the other person that you understand them as an individual. It tells that person that you understand the words their community uses and why they use them. You took the time to learn those words and when to apply them, it's about respect.
Of course, you can argue that that respect wasn't earned or reciprocated, and that can be a valid argument to use. But if we ever want to grow into a more inclusive and connected community, we need to take the time to understand other people's points of view, and that starts with understanding their language.
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