Written by Lirit, Year 10
Pride Month is a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, but to also honour the Stonewall uprising in 1969. As part of the month, pride parades, events, concerts, workshops and much more take place around the world. It is especially important to remember those who have been lost to hate crimes.
Oxford held a pride parade on the 4th of June! There were a lot more people than in 2019, as two years were missed due to the Covid-19 situation. The atmosphere was amazing, and although there were several homophobic and transphobic encounters, that did not lower the spirit of the crowd and overall everyone created a safe space for each other.
At OHS, pronoun badges were launched this month. They have been in design and discussion since September, and as the one behind the idea myself, it’s amazing to see them around school now.
So what are pronoun badges? Pronoun badges are a way of someone displaying their gender identity without having to tell people constantly. This will help avoid situations when the wrong pronouns are used which is known as ‘misgendering’. They can definitely help those who feel like their gender identity is ignored/forgotten or those who would like to feel more accepted at school. They are completely optional, and all students and staff have received a more in detail email from me explaining the purpose and importance of pronoun badges.
I have loved giving out the badges at lunchtimes and having conversations with those who wish to, and thank you to Mrs Gardiner Legge, Miss Nebesnuick and Miss Knowles for making the pronoun badge initiative happen!
As well as pronoun badges, OHS listened to an informative assembly presented by the Year 12 Diversity Prefects on the difference between being trans and a drag artist.
Some general questions about the pronoun badges:
Do I have to wear a badge?
It is completely up to you.
Why is there a she/her badge?
It is to show support to those that identify differently to their sex assigned at birth and to normalise the use of badges.
Will there be more pronoun combinations?
If requested, it can be done in the future.
What does the ‘she/they’ or ‘he/they’ badge mean and how does one use these pronouns?
Most of the time, whichever pronoun comes first means that’s the preference of the person, in this case ‘she’ or ‘he’. Alternatively, a ‘they/she’ or ‘they/he’ badge would mean that ‘they’ is their preferred pronoun. When there’s more than one pronoun, they should be alternated from time to time.
What should I do when someone wears an ‘ask for my pronouns’ badge?
As suggested, if you need to use their pronouns, simply asking is all you need to do. If someone wears this badge their gender might be fluid or they’d just like to start the conversation. Alternatively, the student can choose not to wear one, depending on what feels more comfortable.
General info about gender identity:
It is normal for people of all ages, especially teens, to question who they are and some people end up questioning their gender specifically.
There are many different terms that you may hear. The “main” ones you most likely will hear at some point are ‘trans’ and ‘non-binary’ – these are both umbrella terms for people who don’t feel comfortable with their sex assigned at birth. ‘Non-binary’ is a term used for people who don’t identify with the binary genders (female or male) and ‘trans’ or ‘transgender’ is a term that is used for people who don’t identify as their sex assigned at birth. This can include non-binary people but not all non-binary individuals label themselves as trans.
If you misgender someone (i.e. use the wrong pronouns) and notice it, all you need to do is calmly apologise and move on. It can be awkward sometimes but that’s the best thing you can do in that situation.
