By Paris Blanco

Co-Editor-in-Chief 

As teenagers, our generation is the biggest dominator within the social media realm. Most social media platforms have bios, which is a place where users can enter general information about themselves. For people who are non-binary and gender nonconforming, bios have become a space to enter preferred pronouns if they feel comfortable. 

However, regardless of a person being cisgender (those whose gender identies match their sex assigned at birth) or transgender (those whose sense of gender identity is the opposite of their sex assigned at birth), specifying pronouns on social media should be normalized. 

First off, the integration of pronouns in bios lessens the chances of people being misgendered on social media, which can be seen as a form of microaggression. For background, microagression is an action regarded as an action of subtle or indirect discrimination against members of a marginalized group. Misgendering is referring to someone with pronouns that do not correctly reflect their gender identity. 

Although it may seem unecessary for cisgender people, to utilize this, there is no way to definitively tell someone’s gender or gender identity based off of looks. There is no a specific “look” to being a person who is cisgender or transgender. By including pronouns in social media bios, harmful stereotypes are not perpetuated. 

Additionally, pronouns in social media bios creates a safer environment for people who are transgender. Rather than pronouns being a taboo topic, it opens up conversation and allows for those who use different pronouns to feel comfortable sharing without being the odd one out. Followers can be informed of the language and pronouns that make the user comfortable. Through pronouns being included in social media bios, the mere act of sharing your pronouns with others is considered normal.

Overall, including pronouns in social media bios serves as an opposition to the stigmatization of the transgender and non-binary community. Currently, we live in a society of cisnormativity, which means that cisgender identities are seen as natural and correct. With the increasing amount of people putting their pronouns in their bios, the stereotype that transgender and non-binary identites are unnatural or incorrect moves towards being broken. 

“As a trans and non-binary person myself, I think the best way to show that you are an ally is to have your pronouns in your bio,” says PEACE freshman, Ben Martinez-Paredes, “If everyone is open with their pronouns it doesn’t single out any trans people who may be subject to hate or bullying. Although it’s not practical to assume everyone will put their pronouns in their bio, I think it’s really important that if you can, you do.”