5 Ways To Make Your Office More Welcoming for People of All Gender Identities
At Camp Kupugani, our multicultural overnight summer camp in northwest Illinois, we’re all about appreciating all aspects of diversity–not just of race, ethnicity, and religion, but also regarding gender identity and expression. We want our campers and entire community to be inclusive and welcoming to all. We recently came across an article regarding how employers and colleagues can respectfully make their workplace welcoming to folks of all gender identities. Check out our quick summary below, and read the full article here.
Do your own research.
- Use the internet for good rather than evil.
- A better understanding can lead to more interest in support.
Use the pronouns people ask you to use.
- Foster an environment where people feel open to sharing their pronouns.
- If you make a mistake, apologize and work to correct it.
Wherever you use names, also include pronouns.
- Email signatures
- Meetings
- Ice breakers
Encourage your employer to offer gender-neutral or single-use bathrooms in the office.
- Relabeling a bathroom is easily done.
- Having a bathroom for people who identify as transgender or non-binary goes a long way.
When in doubt, ask first if it’s okay to ask a question.
- This evolution of language is fairly new.
- Find an appropriate time to ask.
- Accept “I don’t feel comfortable” as an option.
Source Article: https://www.npr.org/2019/10/16/768421343/5-ways-to-make-the-office-more-welcoming-for-people-of-all-gender-identities