International Pronouns Day: October 18, 2023

Posted on: October 17, 2023

graphic showing a grid of 9 illustrated people with pronouns below, including she/her, he/him, they/them, and ze/hir

What is International Pronouns Day? Celebrated on the 3rd Wednesday of each October, International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace.

Why are personal pronouns important? Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity. Using a person’s correct pronouns and proactively sharing yours are two ways to show respect and promote an inclusive environment.

Want to display your personal pronouns in Canvas and Zoom? Simply follow these instructions:

Canvas: How to select personal pronouns in a user account as a student
Zoom: How to add and share pronouns (Note: Zoom shows separate “name” and “display name” fields. Both can be edited and saved while logged in, but JMU resets the “name” field when you log out. Only changes to the “display name” field will stick.)

Learn more about personal pronouns and gender identity:

What are Personal Pronouns and Why Do They Matter? from MyPronouns.org
A Guide to Gender Identity Terms from NPR
Inclusive Environments and Pronouns presentation (log in with your JMU credentials to view or save the PowerPoint file) from the Libraries’ Online Learning team
LGBTQ+ Inclusion Guide for Faculty and Staff from JMU’s SOGIE
JMU and Community LGBTQIPA Resources from JMU’s Safe Zone

Categorised in: JMU Libraries News