Culture

The White House Contact Form Now Asks Users To Share Their Pronouns


 

Just hours into the Biden administration, the official White House contact form now offers a drop-down menu asking those seeking to reach the body to note their pronouns. Options include, “she/her,” “he/him,” “they/them,” “other,” and “prefer not to share.” The “other” option, if selected, allows individuals to enter their pronouns themselves. The new site also allows users to identify themselves with the honorific, “Mx.”

The revision reflects the sustained effort of LGBTQ+ activists and advocacy organizations to normalize the sharing of gender pronouns when making introductions. In a statement, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis praised the substance and timing of the change.

“On Day One, the Biden administration has taken immediate steps to include trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people in the conversation,” she said. “Pronouns matter, and adding inclusive pronouns to a contact form is more than just a demonstration of allyship. Research has shown that recognition and respect of our pronouns can make all the difference for our health and wellbeing—especially when it comes to LGBTQ youth.”

The more inclusive addition also follows the emphasis our newly minted vice president, Kamala Harris, put on sharing her pronouns throughout the campaign. The then-senator not only added her pronouns to her Twitter bio, but also made a point of stating her pronouns when introducing herself during public appearances.

Far from a small semantic change, the new website function represents a profound departure from an outgoing administration that, upon taking power, almost immediately worked to scrub references to LGBTQ+ people from federal sites, such as the Department of State’s webpage. These early gestures from the Trump administration presaged an all-out attack on LGBTQ+ rights: from removing questions regarding LGBTQ+ identities from census surveys to working to revise the official Health and Human Services Department definition of sex to invalidate trans and non-binary people.

LGBTQ+ folks from around the country took to social media to express their thoughts on the change and what it says about the new trajectory of our national leadership. Many expressed a combination of joy and relief, specifying that the option to share one’s pronouns signaled a new administration poised to respect the identities of trans and gender-nonconforming folks.

“Four years ago, the outgoing admin removed pretty much all mentions of LGBTQIA+ people from .gov websites,” wrote one Twitter user. “Now, three hours into the new admin, you can choose they/them pronouns when contacting the White House.”





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