Trans and Nonbinary Inclusive Language in the Workplace
Levi Hord
In this expert session led by Levi Hord, the importance of using inclusive and gender-affirming language in the workplace is emphasized. Levi begins by discussing the concepts of biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and gender perception.
They highlight that biological sex refers to physical and genetic characteristics (male or female), while gender identity is a person's internal sense of themselves as male, female, non-binary, or another gender. Gender expression is how one presents their gender externally through behaviors, clothing, body characteristics, voice, and more, while gender perception is how others perceive and categorize someone based on their appearance and presentation.
In the expert session led by Levi Hord, participants engage in an interactive Q&A using the Mentimeter app. Concerns arise about enforcing politically correct language and asking for pronouns. Levi responds by emphasizing the importance of considering the impact on others, rather than seeing it as merely a political issue.
They clarify that asking for pronouns is about public identification, not outing someone, and advises being mindful of relational dynamics when discussing gender identity. Levi also addresses questions about misgendering and navigating gendered languages, offering practical solutions like normalizing the practice of asking for pronouns and adopting more inclusive language.
The session wraps up with an invitation for participants to provide feedback through a survey on the Mentimeter app.
Recognizing that biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and gender perception are distinct concepts is essential for fostering inclusive workplaces.
Utilizing gender-neutral language and respecting individuals' preferred pronouns create a welcoming and affirming workplace culture.
Being aware of the unique challenges faced when using inclusive language, such as language limitations and societal norms, enables continuous improvement towards an inclusive environment.
In this expert session led by Levi Hord, the importance of using inclusive and gender-affirming language in the workplace is emphasized. Levi begins by discussing the concepts of biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and gender perception.
They highlight that biological sex refers to physical and genetic characteristics (male or female), while gender identity is a person's internal sense of themselves as male, female, non-binary, or another gender. Gender expression is how one presents their gender externally through behaviors, clothing, body characteristics, voice, and more, while gender perception is how others perceive and categorize someone based on their appearance and presentation.
Levi then delves into the significance of using inclusive language in the workplace, specifically focusing on adding pronouns to email signatures as a way to normalize this practice. They argue that creating a workplace culture where people feel comfortable sharing their pronouns is crucial for inclusion and reducing turnover rates.
Levi provides strategies such as using gender-neutral language, checking forms and procedures for gendered language, writing inclusive job postings, and introducing oneself with pronouns to make the environment more welcoming and respectful for all individuals.
The speaker debunks two myths around inclusive language: that it is a recent fad and only benefits a small number of people. They share that singular "they" has been used in English for hundreds of years, and conversations around gender-neutral language have been ongoing for centuries.
The feminist language movement of the 1970s serves as an example, where cisgender women noticed implicit sexism in their workplaces and began advocating for gender-inclusive language to benefit everyone.
Levi encourages being curious and learning from mistakes in order to improve and shift habits towards creating a more inclusive environment. They emphasize that language is dynamic and ever-changing, evolving with culture and social context.
The expert session emphasizes the benefits of implementing gender-inclusive practices in the workplace, including increased productivity, employee engagement, and attracting diverse talent. It also addresses challenges faced when navigating gender-neutral language in languages that are heavily gendered and provides resources, such as Mx.com and Minus18.org, for practicing inclusive and affirming language.
From the survey every participant gets when the session ends, in their own words.
A very insightful session delivered in a down-to-earth language. Thank you
Oh my goodness, where to start? It was wonderful to have Levi telling us about their personal experiences and sharing so much interesting information and insights about this very important topic. And I will use the resources from Minus18 too!
Thank you for arranging this session. I think we need to share it more widely amongst the whole VF family and really push for everyone to use non-gendered language in our policies, procedures and communications. It is not difficult!
Well organized, thank you!
It is interactive, and the block above says exactly how for this session. Nobody has to speak up who does not want to: the chat and the polls carry most of it, and the questions can come in anonymously.
In this expert session led by Levi Hord, the importance of using inclusive and gender-affirming language in the workplace is emphasized. Levi begins by discussing the concepts of biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and gender perception. It is built for a general working audience: no prior knowledge is assumed, and people who already know the subject get the research and the practical side rather than an introduction.
It runs 45 min / 15 min: the talk, then live questions. All you do is pick a date. We brief Levi, produce the session, host and moderate it, run the Q&A, and send you the report within an hour of the end.
A team, a department, an employee network or every single employee at once, with no cap and no per-seat price. It runs inside your own Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Meet, or on a branded page we build. No integration, no login, no company device or e-mail.
The session is delivered in English. You can add high accuracy live subtitles in 8, 16 or 24 languages, so everyone follows in their own. That is a paid option, priced by the number of languages you need.
No, and that is by design. There is nothing to install, nothing to integrate and no connection to your systems, so there is nothing for IT to validate: we join your own Teams, Zoom or Meet as a guest speaker, or we host a page and your people open a link. No software, no accounts, and no data of yours that we can reach. It is why hundreds of companies, among them some of the largest technology and financial firms in the world, were able to start within a day.
We never receive or hold personal data about your employees. Because the session runs in your own environment, attendance and identity stay with you, and what we report back is aggregated: numbers, ratings and survey answers, not people. That is also why IT approval usually takes minutes rather than weeks.
You keep the recording and can share it internally. You also get attendance over time, participant ratings for the content and the speaker, the survey answers, and the topics your people asked for next.
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