Do the best you can until you know better.
Then when you know better, do better.
I am inspired by the Human Rights Campaign's guidance on sharing pronouns:
Share your own personal pronouns. This helps to normalize discussions around gender identity and creates safe spaces for transgender and non-binary people.
I figure if normalizing the use of pronouns is a positive act that supports my fellow humans, then a related set of fact and value statements may further the same ends. This is not a comprehensive set of beliefs or positions, these are statements I am compelled to share proactively:
- I use the pronouns He/Him
- I am a culturally white midwestern American man. I know that my direct experiences are a narrow view of the world. I want to value and show compassion to the vast majority of human experience that is outside of my own.
- I am egalitarian by nature and belief
- I hold all genders and sexual orientations to be equal in ability, intrinsic value, and deserving of human rights
- I will do my best to refer to anyone by their preferred name, pronoun, or nickname
- I concur with much of Justice Stevens' dissent in the Citizens United case
"The conceit that corporations must be treated identically to natural persons in the political sphere is not only inaccurate but also inadequate to justify the Court's disposition of this case."
To be a loving human being is enough.