Fact sheet: Pronouns

The Unity campaign helps you become more supportive of 2SLGBTQI+ communities.

Although someone’s pronouns may seem obvious to you, it’s important to offer your own pronouns to give others the space to share theirs. The following outlines what pronouns are, why they’re important, and why we suggest adding your own pronouns to your email signature. 

Why do pronouns matter?

Pronouns are used in everyday language to refer to others and yourself. For example, “She went to the store.” and “That is his lunch.” Even if you aren’t a part of the 2SLGBTQI+ communities, you still have and use pronouns. The most commonly used pronouns are she/her/hers and he/him/his.  

Some Canadians may not feel connected to the gender they were assigned at birth and may use different pronouns, such as they/them/theirs. No matter what someone’s pronouns are, it’s important to use the ones they’ve provided. If you use he/him/his pronouns, consider how it would make you feel if someone used she or her to refer to you. 

If you aren’t a member of the community, why include them?

If you’re cisgender, you may think it’s obvious to others how they should refer to you—you look like a man, so they should use he/him/his. Even if this is the case, adding your pronouns to your email signature can show people in the 2SLGBTQI+ communities that they’re welcome to share theirs and that you’ll respect their pronouns. This is a small and simple act that can make a big difference in making others feel not only included but also safe to be their authentic selves. 

What do you do if you feel someone’s pronouns are obvious?  

Even if you think someone’s pronouns are obvious, you should never make an assumption. Someone may look feminine but identify as non-binary and use they/them/theirs pronouns. Alternatively, someone may look more masculine in the way they dress and use she/her/hers pronouns. 

What if someone has two different pronouns in their signature? 

A combination of pronouns, such as she/they and he/they, can signify that the person may not exclusively connect with a single specific set of pronouns (like she/her) and uses pronouns interchangeably. When in doubt, it’s always best to ask if the person has a preferred pronoun.

Common pronouns used are:  

she/her/hers

he/him/his

they/them/theirs 

It’s important to note that this is not a comprehensive list, and that there are additional gender-neutral pronouns that someone may use. 

Samples: Use the following template to add your pronouns to your signature. 

Name (she/her/hers)

Your role at your company/organization 

Company/organization you work for 

Company/organization logo 

Name (he/him/his)

Your role at your company/organization

Company/Organization you work for 

Company/Organization logo  

Name (they/them/theirs) 

Your role at your organization/company 

Company/Organization you work for 

Company/Organization logo