The City of Edina is providing their employees with pronoun buttons, according to images obtained by Alpha News.
The pins are for Edina city staff, Jennifer Bennerotte, Edina’s communications director, told Alpha News. “The front desk of City Hall is one of three places in the City that staff can get them if they so desire,” she said.
Bennerotte explained that the pins pictured are “in a secured area (behind a locked door)” and only accessible to employees.
Some of the buttons include the phrase “Ask my pronouns.” Others list the pronouns “she/her,” “he/his,” and “they/them” on them.
Bennerotte told Alpha News the city’s employee website explains that the disclosure of pronouns is optional. “However, while it’s imperative to respect another’s pronouns, disclosure or selection of pronouns is always optional,” the city’s employee website says.
“It has become quite common in diverse and inclusive environments to add your gender pronouns in your email signature, name tag and business cards. You may choose to adopt this new practice as it helps minimize misgendering and is an important strategy toward inclusivity,” the website reads.
Disclosing pronouns “reminds people that they shouldn’t make assumptions about anyone’s gender identity,” according to the website, while also demonstrating a “willingness to use someone’s pronouns.”
The city also defines gender identity as “an individual’s sense of being male, female or another.”
“This can help make employees and the residents we encounter with diverse gender identities or gender expressions (the way we show our gender to the world around us) more comfortable in identifying their pronouns to you, should and when they choose to,” the city says.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
