PITTSBURGH — What’s in a name? Enough to lead people to be unintentionally dismissive and disrespectful of someone by misgendering them, according to the University of Pittsburgh.
But now, Pitt has published a gender-inclusive language guide that includes a set of “non-sexist language guidelines and resources” to help students and faculty avoid “unintentionally creating a sexist and homophobic classroom environment.”
Our news partners at the Tribune Review explained that in the guide, “yinz” is a suggested substitute for “ladies and gentlemen.”
The guidelines include advice such as “do not limit yourself to male examples or heterosexual examples. Teachers can and should honor the breadth of experience and potential in students’ lives by discussing women, gender nonconforming and LGBT-identified people. For example, avoid giving examples that assume that all doctors are men.”
Strategies suggested in the Pitt language guide include asking students to introduce themselves or asking them to write down their names and pronouns.
“If you are unsure what name or pronoun set a colleague or student uses in a particular setting, ask!” the guide says. You can read more about the guidelines by clicking here.
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