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Zoom Pronoun Feature Now Available

November 16, 2021

 
In support of CU Denver’s 2030 Strategic Plan goal No. 1, to become the nation’s first equity-serving institution, the Office of Information Technology is pleased to announce the release of a new Zoom pronoun feature. The feature is an effort to help our students, faculty, and staff feel more included, expressive, and seen. 
 

While pronoun sharing can be particularly important to LGBTQ+ community members, using pronouns benefits everyone, enabling all to share about themselves and be more respectfully treated on the Zoom platform. Some common examples of pronouns are he/him/his, she/her/hers, and they/them/theirs. In addition, people may use multiple pronouns to speak to gender fluidity and/or non-binary identities, such as she/them or he/them. 

CU Denver hopes this feature will support self-expression and respect, which ultimately leads to a stronger culture of connectivity and an improved communications experience. 

CU Denver student Spencer Green (they/them/theirs) said: “Making pronoun features available and easily accessible allows for pronouns to already be a part of the structure of a class rather than something I would have to manually edit in my display name, which eases my concerns about if there could be an accidental misgendering or use of my legal name. By being already included instead of having to make space for myself and pronouns, I feel more valued and seen.” 

Associate Director for Transgender Representation at GLAAD Alex Schmider (he/him/his) added: “Pronouns are how people refer to one another when not using their name. Using someone’s correct pronouns is akin to pronouncing their name correctly. This small but significant sign of respect goes a long way in creating an environment where everyone can show up, be seen, and addressed respectfully as who they are.” 

The Office of Information Technology encourages all CU Denver community members to consider adding pronouns to their Zoom profiles to build campus belonging and inclusion. 

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