Goldman Sachs Is Educating Employees in Personal Pronouns
The investment banking firm Goldman Sachs has rolled out an initiative designed to educate employees and promote awareness of personal pronouns with relation to colleagues who are transgender or gender non-conforming.
"Goldman Sachs has launched an internal campaign centered around gender identity and pronouns, seeking to provide education on what the different types of pronouns are, guidance for the way to use them and offering new avenues for our people to proactively self-identify," reads the company's official blog post. "To enable our people to optimize their potential, we believe in fostering an inclusive environment where they feel comfortable to be their authentic selves– and that should be welcomed and valued by their team and by the firm."
The post then goes on to offer clear definitions of personal pronouns and how they might vary depending on an individual's gender identity, including the gender neutral "they/them" and "ze/zir" for people who identify as non-binary.
It also provides guidance on how to use inclusive language and be an ally in the workplace. For instance, using somebody's name is a safe way to avoid incorrectly assuming their gender. And if you do accidentally use the wrong pronoun, try to draw as little attention to it as possible, and simply make an effort to pay closer attention in future.
Companies taking steps such as these to foster a welcoming working environment for all employees is an encouraging development. There remain some states in the US where a person can be fired for their sexuality or gender identity; huge organizations like Goldman Sachs being proactive in their inclusive employment practices can provide an impactful example to workplaces all over the country that making employees feel safe and valued will ultimately make them more loyal and productive.
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