Resources

• Disability Resource Center
• Financial Aid
• Grants
• Scholarships
• International Student Services
• Dr. Robert B. Bailey III Office of International Education  
• Preferred Name Policy: Staff
• Preferred Name Policy: Students
• Report It! (Bias Incident Reporting)
• Student Health and Counseling Services
• Student Involvement
• Student Support Services (SSS/TRIO)
• University Police
• Upward Bound
• Violence Prevention Coordinator

The Mediation Room, located in Rodli Hall next to the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging office (room 269), is an interfaith space open to all faculty, staff and students. It offers a welcoming environment for prayer and meditation, featuring designated areas for men and women, along with washing stations to support diverse spiritual and reflection needs.

In this self-paced online course, you will explore the similarities and differences between these identities, the impact of stereotypes and bias on LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities and the role of allyship in supporting gender identity and sexual orientation. 

An ally is typically someone from a dominant or majority group, but anyone can be an ally. While straight and cisgender individuals often serve as allies, LGBTQIA+ individuals can also act as allies to other marginalized groups within the community. 

Allies advocate for LGBTQIA+ individuals by actively opposing homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, cissexism and heterosexism. They show their support in personal and professional spaces, standing up against oppression and fostering inclusivity. An ally can be: 

• An activist speaking out against discrimination 

• An educator raising awareness 

• A supporter providing a safe space 

• A role model demonstrating respect and inclusion 

• An automatic expert on LGBTQIA+ topics. 

• A trained counselor. 

• A spokesperson for LGBTQIA+ individuals or other allies. 

True allyship requires continuous learning, listening and taking action to create a more inclusive and equitable world. 

Residence Life hosts a Gender-Inclusive Community in our residence halls. 

Single-use, non-gender specific restroom facilities are available in most buildings. 

Please contact our office, or Facilities Management, if you have any questions about the restroom facilities on campus.

• Centennial Science Hall:
  • Room 184a (main level)
  • This restroom is located in the middle of the hallways surrounding room 165, just to the left of room 175a.
• Falcon Center:
  • Room A127 - Located in the workout area.
  • Room B142 - Located in the long hallway between the Page and Hunt arenas, halfway between the concession stand and the Knowles Center.
• Kleinpell Fine Arts:
  • Room 168 (main level)
  • This restroom is located just to the left of the main atrium/lobby, across from room 149.
• North Hall:
  • Rooms 225a and 225b (second floor)
  • These restrooms are located to the northeast of the auditorium, across the hall from room 205.
• David Rodli Hall Student Success Center:
  • Room 145 - Near the Financial Aid Office.
  • Room 259 - Near Student Health and Counseling Services.
• University Center:
  • This restroom is located on the first level of the UC directly across from the Falcon's Nest (room 15). It will be marked by an R on the map. This restroom is also handicap accessible.
• Jesse H. Ames Suites:
  • Room 107 (Ann Lydecker Living Learning Center)
• Crabtree Hall:
  • Room 31 (basement)
• Grimm Hall:
  • Room 11 (basement)
• Hathorn Hall:
  • Rooms 49 and 51 (basement)
  • 132 and 132E (center of 1st floor)
• Johnson Hall:
  • First Floor - Gender-Inclusive Community
  • Room 18 (basement)
• May Hall:
  • Room 13 (basement)
• McMillan Hall:
  • Room 11 (basement)
• Parker Hall:
  • Room 31 (basement)
• Prucha Hall:
  • Room 7 (basement)
• South Fork Suites:
  • Rooms 105A and 105B (Off of the main lobby)
• Stratton Hall:
  • Room 7 (basement)

A pronoun is a word that is used instead of a noun or a noun phrase to refer to individuals. Pronouns can be in the first person singular (I, me) or plural (we, us); second person singular or plural (you); and the third person singular (e.g. she/her, he/him, they/them, ze/hir) or plural (they/them).

Gendered pronouns specifically reference someone's gender: he/him/his or she/her/hers.

Non-gendered or nonbinary pronouns are not gender specific and are often used by people who identify outside of a gender binary. The most common set of nonbinary pronouns is they/them/their used in the singular (e.g. Jadzia identifies as genderqueer; they do not see themselves as either female or male.) Other nonbinary pronouns include ze (pronounced "zee") in place of she/he, and hir (pronounced "here") in place of his/him/her (e.g. Jadzia runs hir own business, but ze is more well-known an an author).

It's okay! Everyone slips up from time to time, even those of us who do do this for a living. The best thing to do if you use the wrong pronoun for someone is to say something right away, like "Sorry, I meant she." If you realize your mistake after the fact, apologize in private and move on.

A lot of the time it can be tempting to go on and on about how bad you feel that you messed up or how hard it is for you to get it right. But please, don't! It is inappropriate and can make the person who was mis-gendered feel awkward and responsible for comforting you, which is not their job. It is your job to remember people's personal gender pronouns (PGPs). Take an active role in your education.

In your classes, you may hear one of your students using the wrong pronoun for someone. In most cases, it is appropriate to gently correct them without further embarrassing the individual was has been mis-gendered. This means saying something like "Actually Xena uses the pronoun she or they," and then moving on. If other students or faculty are consistently using the wrong pronouns for someone, do not ignore it! It is important to let your student or classmate know that you are their ally.

It may also be appropriate to approach them and say something like, "I noticed that you were getting referred to with the wrong pronouns earlier, and I know that can be hurtful. Would you be okay with me taking them aside and reminding them about your personal pronouns? I want to make sure that this group/class is a safe space for you." Follow up if necessary, but take your cues from the comfort level of your student or classmate. Know that your actions will be appreciated.

In most cases, you may gently correct the person who made the mistake without further embarrassing the individual who was misgendered. You can say something like, "Actually, Jadzia use 'they' for themselves."

Keep it simple. Try asking, "What pronouns do you use?" or "Can you remind me what pronouns you use?" It can feel awkward at first, but it's not half as awkward as getting it wrong or making a hurtful assumption.

You can also ask as part of an introduction exercise. You will quickly want to explain what a PGP is. Try something like this: "Tell us your name, where you come from, and your personal pronoun. That means the pronoun that you use in reference to yourself. For example, I'm Sarah, I'm from Minneapolis, and I like to be referred to with they, them, and their pronouns. So you could say, 'they went to their car' if you were talking about me."

Identity development is a fluid process. Individuals may still be getting comfortable with their own gender identity and expression. Make sure to let your students or classmates know that if they would prefer to use different pronouns in the future to communicate that with you and that you will respect their wishes.

You can't always know what someone's PGPs are by looking at them. Asking and correctly using someone's personal pronouns is one of the most basic ways to show your respect for their gender identity.

When someone is referred to with the wrong pronoun, it can make them feel disrespected, invalidated, dismissed, alienated, or dysphoric. Often it can make them feel all of the above.

It is a privilege to be cisgender and not have to worry about which pronoun someone is going to use for your based on how they perceive your gender. If you have this privilege, yet fail to respect someone else's gender identity, it is not only disrespectful and hurtful, but also oppressive.

(Cisgender or cis-gender: Noting or relating to person whose gender identity corresponds with that person's biological sex assigned at birth. Definition from Dictionary.com)

She/her/hers and he/him/his are the most commonly used pronouns. Some people call these "female/feminine" and "male/masculine" pronouns. Many avoid these labels because, for example, not everyone who uses he feels like a "male" or "masculine". The downloadable list above is much more comprehensive and will guide you on the appropriate use of each type of pronoun.

There are lot of other gender neutral/gender inclusive pronouns in use. Here are a few that you might hear:

• They/them/theirs - This is a pretty common gender neutral pronoun. Yes, it can in fact be used in the singular. For example: Xena ate their food because they were hungry.
• Ze/hir/hirs - Ze is pronounced like "zee". It can also be spelled zie or xe. It replaces she/he/they. Hir is pronounced like "here" and replaces her/hers/him/his/they/theirs. For example: Xena ate hir food because ze was hungry.
• Just my name please! Some people prefer not to use pronouns at all, utilizing their name as a pronoun instead. For example: Xena ate Xena's food because Xena was hungry.
   

Never, ever refer to a person as "it" or "he-she" (unless they specifically ask you to.) These are offensive slurs used against trans and gender-nonconforming individuals. Some individuals will reclaim these words for themselves as a form of empowerment. Do not reclaim these words for them.