By: Regan Sumy

Instagram recently made the exciting and necessary decision to create an option to display your pronouns on your Instagram profile. While some see pronouns as unimportant or unnecessary, that simply isn’t the case. 

Pronouns are used to refer to an individual in conversation or in writing. The most common pronouns are he/him, she/her, and they/them. If you are unsure of someone’s pronouns, ask that person if they feel comfortable sharing their pronouns. You could also use gender-neutral pronouns. 

If you are cisgender, meaning you identify with the sex you were born with, you may ask, “Why would I need to display my pronouns?” Simple answer — to declare your alliance and support of people who are LGBTQ+. This doesn’t mean that everyone who does not include pronouns in their bio is anti-LGBTQ+, but having your pronouns can make someone feel accepted, so if you are comfortable doing so, share them!

If you are not cisgender, you can choose to put your pronouns in your bio whenever you feel comfortable enough to do so. Some people are not yet ready to come out, especially on big social media platforms, which is completely valid. 

Another positive factor of adding your pronouns to your bio is to help stop gender assumptions. So many people are called by the wrong pronouns, so normalizing and educating pronoun usage can lead to a future more accepting of members of the LGBTQ+ community. 

Everyone — if you are still figuring out your identity or are simply not yet comfortable with sharing your pronouns on social media, don’t feel pressured by anyone to share. If you do feel comfortable sharing your pronouns, see the steps below for how to add this information to your profile.

How-To Steps:

1. Log into Instagram. 
2. Go to your profile page. 
3. Click the “Edit Profile” button. 
4. Find the box labeled “Pronouns.” 
5. Select your preferred pronouns (up to 4). 
6. Choose if you want your pronouns to be public or private.