What are your pronouns? This foundational workshop provides an introduction to personal pronouns, including practical applications in a library setting. Attendees will develop an understanding of the importance of personal pronouns, and how to use them.

1. Becoming a Trans
Inclusive Library
2. Personal Pronouns In Practice
Spencer D. C. Keralis, Ph.D.
spencerk@illinois.edu
@hauntologist

2. Outline
I. Housekeeping and Introductions
II. Pronouns
III. Applications

3. Format
There will be lecture, a group activity, and some discussion.
This is a space for conversation, not confrontation. Be gentle
with each other.
All materials are licensed under a CC BY NC 4.0 license
except where otherwise noted.

4. Housekeeping
No photography or social media, please.

5. Questions
Please interrupt if you need clarifications. Use the group chat
when we’re not in a Q&A section.

6. Learning Outcomes
In this workshop, participants will learn...
1. Some common personal pronouns used by trans and
gender creative people;
2. Why personal pronouns are important;
3. Some applications for this information in library settings.

7. This is not Ally Training.

8. Spencer Keralis, Ph.D.
Pronouns: They/Them
@hauntologist
Assistant Professor and Digital Humanities Librarian with the
University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign Libraries.
I hope to learn more about the professional development
needs of librarians to help deliver inclusive services.

9. Introductions
1. Your Name
2. Your Pronouns
3. Your Role
4. Let us know what you hope to learn today.

10. Pronouns

11. Pronouns
"a part of speech substitutable for a noun and marked for a
person."
Dionysius Thrax
The Art of Grammar
2nd. Century BCE

12. Types of Pronouns
Personal Demonstrative Relative &
Interrogative
Indefinite
I / me / my / mine this who / whom / whose one / one’s / oneself
you / yours these what something / anything / nothing (things)
he / him / his
she / her / hers
it / its
that which someone / anyone / no one (people)
we / us / our / ours those that somebody / anybody / nobody /
everybody (people)
you / your / yours former / latter
they / them / their /
theirs

13. Personal Pronouns have...
Person
First I, we
Second you
Third he, she, they
Number
Singular I, he, she
Plural we, they
Gender
Masculine he
Feminine she
Neuter it
Epicene they

14. Royal We
Used to refer to a single person who is a monarch:
We are not amused.

15. NoProNouns Exercise - 10 minutes
You’ll be divided into small discussion groups. Choose a close friend or family
member. Describe this person to your breakout group without using any pronouns.
Describe:
1. This person’s relationship to you.
2. This person’s interests.
3. How you feel about this person.
After each group member describes their person, discuss in your group how
omitting pronouns changed the way you speak. What do pronouns help us do?

16. Regroup

17. Personal Pronouns

18. Personal Pronouns
May be gendered pronouns, singular they, or
gender-neutral pronouns.
NOT “prefered pronouns” - either “my
pronouns” or “the pronouns I use”
Ask: What are your pronouns?

19. Caveat
The name or pronouns someone goes by do not necessarily indicate
anything about the person’s gender or other identities.
Names and pronouns tend to be publicly shared, because they are
part of the language commonly used to refer to people.
Identities tend to be private (i.e. many people don't proactively share
their gender just as many people don't proactively share their race,
class, or sexuality with acquaintances)
https://www.mypronouns.org/they-them

20. Singular “They”
Some people who are not comfortable/do not embrace he/she
use the pronoun “they/their” as a gender neutral singular
pronoun.
Grammatically it’s fine. Just use it.
Has a long history in the English language:
Þei in Middle English (1375)
Don’t second guess someone who discloses that they use
they/them pronouns.

21. Neopronouns
Alternate pronouns that are gender neutral and used by some
trans and nonbinary people.
Some examples:
● Bornstein: ze / hir / hir / hirs (1998)
● Spivak: E / Em / Eir / Eirs (1983)
Don’t second guess someone who discloses that they use
neopronouns.

22. Neopronouns
Finding the right pronouns
can be a moment of thrilling
self-recognition. It’s worth
doing the work to respect
folks who use neopronouns.
Maia Kobabe. Gender Queer: A
Memoir. Lion Forge, 2019.

23. Gender Neutral Honorifics
Mx. ‐ (typically pronounced mix) is a title (e.g. Mr., Ms., etc.)
that is gender neutral. It is often the option of choice for folks
who do not identify within the cisgender binary.

24. Applications

25. Sharing Pronouns
is a great way to disrupt the
normalization and privilege of
assumption.
https://www.mypronouns.org/sharing

26. Sharing and Asking
Sharing:
“I’m Spencer Keralis. I’m a
digital humanities librarian,
and I use they/them
pronouns.”
Asking:
“Hi, I’m Spencer. I use
they/them pronouns. How
should I refer to you?”

27. Do I Have to Share My Pronouns?
Generally speaking,
no person is under
any obligation to
disclose their
pronouns.
Exceptions:
1. You are facilitating a meeting or
workshop and want to model
inclusive practice.
2. You are going to ask someone
what their personal pronouns
are.
In both cases, please disclose your
pronouns.

28. How to do better...

29. Mistakes & Saves
You’re giving a phone reference for a volunteer.
You say: “She is a great worker. I’m sorry, I meant to say he is a
great worker. He’s been a real asset to our video cataloguing
project, and it’s been a pleasure to work with him.”

30. Mistakes & Saves 2
You are talking in a meeting about someone who goes by “they/them”
pronouns. You say: “His idea for that project is going to work very well.
Let’s try that.”
Later, after the meeting, you realize that you used the incorrect pronouns
for that person, so you go to them and say: “I’m really sorry I used the
wrong pronouns for you in that meeting earlier. I know you go by
‘they/them’ and I will make sure I get it right next time.”
You don’t have to linger on the topic if the other person doesn’t want to
talk about it further, you can simply work to do better.

31. Offering Correctives
You are talking with an acquaintance about a mutual work
friend, Amy. Amy has told you they only go by “they/them”
pronouns.
Your friend says: “Oh yeah, Amy gave me her book to borrow
last weekend.”
You might respond: “Oh? What book did they give you?”
Examples from: https://www.mypronouns.org/mistakes

32. Deadnaming and Misgendering
Deadnaming is the use of the
name assigned at birth for
someone who has expressed
their use of a different name
or who has changed their
name to reflect their gender
identity.
Misgendering is the use of
pronouns based on one’s
assumption of a person's gender;
or intentionally using pronouns
that reflect the gender assigned
at birth for someone who has
expressed their personal
pronouns.
(More on pronouns in a bit)

33. Microaggressions
City of Evanston Policy Prohibiting Sexual Harassment
Misgendering
Using gendered language
based on assumptions, or
using gendered language
that doesn’t match how a
person identifies.
Deadnaming
Use of name assigned at
birth for someone who uses
a different name.
Harassment
Repeated and deliberate misgendering or
dead-naming may be sufficiently severe or
pervasive to constitute harassment.

34. Gender Inclusive Language
Avoid: Instead, try...
“yes, sir” or “thank you, ma’am” Good morning!
Thank you very much.
Could I help the next guest?
Yes, please.
That guy over there The person in the red shirt.
The person with their hand raised.
“ladies and gentlemen” or “boys and girls” Friends
Colleagues
Children
“He” or “she” when speaking when speaking of
an unknown or universal person
They
That person
The patron

35. is gender neutral.
Joe Pinsker. “The Problem with ‘Hey Guys’.” The Atlantic. August 23, 2018.
Rachel Hampton. “Why Y’all Should Be Our Salvation From the Sexist, Bro-y Tyranny of You Guys.” Slate. August 27, 2018.
Y’all

36. Naturalize Pronoun Use
10 places to use pronouns:
1. Email signatures
2. Staff name tags
3. Conference name badges and
ribbons
4. Your CV website
5. Introductions at meetings and
events
6. Conference & Author bios
7. Lapel pins & buttons
8. Door plaques
9. Social Media
10. Library Staff directory

37. Mazel Tov
A List of Yiddish Transgender/Nonbinary Terms

39. Thank You!
Spencer D. C. Keralis, Ph.D.
spencerk@illinois.edu
@hauntologist