‘What Is a Pronoun?’: The Navy Releases New Instructional Video on Proper Gender Pronouns

JONY Hi My name ░░░░░░░░ Jony and I use ░░░░░░░░ him pronouns CONCHY Hi ░░░░░░░░ I m Conchy and ░░░░░░░░ use she her pronouns ░░░░░░░░ And we re here ░░░░░░░░ talk about pronouns CONCHY ░░░░░░░░ is a pronoun A ░░░░░░░░ is how we identify ░░░░░░░░ apart from our name ░░░░░░░░ it s also how ░░░░░░░░ refer to us in ░░░░░░░░ JONY Using the right ░░░░░░░░ is really simple way ░░░░░░░░ affirm someone s identity ░░░░░░░░ is a signal of ░░░░░░░░ and respect CONCHY If ░░░░░░░░ s a signal of ░░░░░░░░ and respect how do ░░░░░░░░ go about creating a ░░░░░░░░ space for everybody JONY ░░░░░░░░ s a good question ░░░░░░░░ really good way to ░░░░░░░░ that is to use ░░░░░░░░ language Instead of saying ░░░░░░░░ like hey guys you ░░░░░░░░ say hey everyone or ░░░░░░░░ team CONCHY Yeah and ░░░░░░░░ that you say that ░░░░░░░░ way that we could ░░░░░░░░ that we re allies ░░░░░░░░ that we accept everybody ░░░░░░░░ to maybe include our ░░░░░░░░ in our emails or ░░░░░░░░ we just did introduce ░░░░░░░░ using our pronouns JONY ░░░░░░░░ what would I do ░░░░░░░░ I misgender someone CONCHY ░░░░░░░░ think the first thing ░░░░░░░░ recognize is that it ░░░░░░░░ not the end of ░░░░░░░░ world You correct yourself ░░░░░░░░ move on or you ░░░░░░░░ the correction and move ░░░░░░░░ The most important thing ░░░░░░░░ can tell you is ░░░░░░░░ not put the burden ░░░░░░░░ making you feel good ░░░░░░░░ your mistake on the ░░░░░░░░ that you just misgendered ░░░░░░░░ Oh thank you for ░░░░░░░░ me that CONCHY Yeah ░░░░░░░░ another tip for you ░░░░░░░░ remember their pronoun next ░░░░░░░░ it s in your ░░░░░░░░ kind of go through ░░░░░░░░ progression of three good ░░░░░░░░ about the person using ░░░░░░░░ pronouns So let s ░░░░░░░░ the person chooses to ░░░░░░░░ they Then you will ░░░░░░░░ your mind go they ░░░░░░░░ a nice shirt they ░░░░░░░░ a nice smile they ░░░░░░░░ really smart So that ░░░░░░░░ of sticks in your ░░░░░░░░ JONY That is so ░░░░░░░░ I want to know ░░░░░░░░ would I do if ░░░░░░░░ want to know someone ░░░░░░░░ gender identity or pronouns ░░░░░░░░ The most important thing ░░░░░░░░ do not pressure anybody ░░░░░░░░ giving you their pronouns ░░░░░░░░ people may be going ░░░░░░░░ the process of discovery ░░░░░░░░ they are not ready ░░░░░░░░ to tell you what ░░░░░░░░ pronouns are and that ░░░░░░░░ okay JONY So I ░░░░░░░░ just lead with my ░░░░░░░░ and they may follow ░░░░░░░░ not and if they ░░░░░░░░ t then I can ░░░░░░░░ continue to use gender ░░░░░░░░ language CONCHY Yes exactly ░░░░░░░░ to share something with ░░░░░░░░ that happened the other ░░░░░░░░ at a cookout I ░░░░░░░░ at we were talking ░░░░░░░░ pronouns and somebody was ░░░░░░░░ with how different people ░░░░░░░░ themselves as different pronouns ░░░░░░░░ the argument was if ░░░░░░░░ look like a female ░░░░░░░░ it s she her ░░░░░░░░ that s what s ░░░░░░░░ and if you make ░░░░░░░░ call you something else ░░░░░░░░ you re infringing on ░░░░░░░░ rights And I was ░░░░░░░░ taken aback by the ░░░░░░░░ and I really wasn ░░░░░░░░ sure how to respond ░░░░░░░░ the only thing I ░░░░░░░░ really think quickly to ░░░░░░░░ was it s not ░░░░░░░░ you at all and ░░░░░░░░ s mostly and ultimately ░░░░░░░░ respect JONY It is ░░░░░░░░ respect that s an ░░░░░░░░ point to make and ░░░░░░░░ think you did the ░░░░░░░░ thing I think it ░░░░░░░░ important to keep it ░░░░░░░░ and simple What I ░░░░░░░░ have said to help ░░░░░░░░ understand better is to ░░░░░░░░ about mispronouncing names For ░░░░░░░░ my name is Jony ░░░░░░░░ J O N Y ░░░░░░░░ it s normal for ░░░░░░░░ to pronounce my name ░░░░░░░░ Joan y but if ░░░░░░░░ were to tell you ░░░░░░░░ and over again my ░░░░░░░░ is Johnny and you ░░░░░░░░ on mispronouncing my name ░░░░░░░░ would feel disrespected by ░░░░░░░░ Some names are very ░░░░░░░░ to pronounce but you ░░░░░░░░ what is very easy ░░░░░░░░ pronounce together She he ░░░░░░░░