Last year, Dane Whicker, PhD, offered tips for how you can make a difference for LGBTQI+ people at Duke. As we look to celebrate Pride Month this year, take moment to read a few of Whicker’s recommendations for how you can help create a supportive environment for LGBTQI+ colleagues, loved ones, and patients. Read the entire list of tips here.
Consider introducing yourself and sharing your pronouns, even if they are “she/her/hers” or “he/him/his.” Doing so normalizes the process for everyone rather than imposing the responsibility for people with pronouns beyond the gender binary. If this is unfamiliar to you or you would like to learn more you can do that here: https://students.duke.edu/belonging/icr/csgd/pronouns/
Assess your language for gender bias and gendered language (e.g., “Ladies and gentlemen,” “both genders,” or “you guys”). When addressing groups of people, even if you perceive that they may all appear to have the same gender identity, it is best not to use gendered language. Examples of more inclusive greetings include “Good Evening, everyone” “Hello,” and even the Southern “y’all!”
Update your own name and pronoun settings, and choose where they appear using Duke’s Identity Management Self-service: See “Manage Name and Pronoun Settings” (https://idms-web-selfservice.oit.duke.edu/)
Understand the current political environment. You can show your support of members of the LGBTQI+ community by understanding the added stressors trans/nonbinary people and their loved ones are facing right now due to an unprecedented number of sociopolitical attacks that have real-life consequences.
Make changes to your environments that will make LGBTQI+ feel welcome and safe. The process of making a unit, department, center, or institute more inclusive and welcoming to members of the LGBTQI+ community will vary from place to place. However, there are some guiding principles that remain the same. When thinking about making positive changes, ask yourself:
- Do LGBTQI+ people ‘have a seat at the table’ and know that their perspectives are valued?
- If not, can I extend them an invitation?
- What are the barriers?
- Is my environment a place where LGBTQI+ people feel safe being their authentic selves? Has our unit/workplace reviewed any survey results to provide relevant data?
- Is my work culture living by Duke’s nondiscrimination policy?