Native Pronouns Integration into Discord Accounts and the Application (User Profile - About Me or Separate Section)

What are pronouns?

Pronouns are how you refer to someone if you are not using their name. For example; "Saidy said that she really wanted to try out this new game with her friends on discord."

If someone tells you their pronouns, use those! If you don’t know someone’s pronouns, don’t assume gendered pronouns and use gender-neutral ones, like they or ze.

The importance of pronouns

Pronouns are one of the ways we portray our identities. When someone asks you to use their pronouns, they are asking for you to respect their identity.

When someone refers to another person using the wrong pronouns, especially on purpose, that can lead to that person feeling disrespected and can lead to dysphoria, exclusion and alienation.

It is never safe to assume someone’s gender and living a life where people will naturally assume the correct pronouns for you is a privilege that not everyone experiences. Choosing to ignore or disrespect someone’s pronouns is not only an act of oppression but can also be considered an act of violence.

Misgendering can have negative consequences for a transgender person’s self-confidence and overall mental health.

A 2014 study in the journal Self and Identity, asked transgender people about their experiences with being misgendered.

Researchers found that:

• 32.8 percent of participants reported feeling very stigmatized when misgendered.
• Genderqueer folks, and people who had taken fewer steps in the transition process, were most likely to be misgendered.
• Those who were misgendered more frequently felt that their identity was very important, but experienced lower self-esteem around their appearance.
• They also had a reduced sense of strength and continuity in their identity.

The bottom line

Misgendering is a difficult issue for trans folks. You can show support and compassion for transgender/non-binary people in your life and in your community by being conscious of your participation in it and taking these simple steps to avoid doing so.

Other companies already added/adding this feature

Please see below a few other companies who have already done similar to be more inclusive:

'She/They' and Other Pronouns You Might See on Candidate Profiles (linkedin.com)

Twitter to finally introduce pronouns to user profiles (pinknews.co.uk)

How to Change Gender on Facebook to Better Represent Yourself (businessinsider.com)

How do I add pronouns to my Instagram profile? | Instagram Help Centre

So what am I asking for Discord to add?

I am asking for Discord to add a section in the User Profile settings section of Discord for users to specify their pronouns (optional, of course) and also have it display next to their Display Names in servers to reduce the chances of the LGBTQIA+ Community getting misgendered while having fun with friends, playing games, talking to people they meet online or just being part of a community on discord. Discord has already created a discord bot to help with this struggle of pronouns within the LGBTQIA+ Community which aims to help Transgender and Non-Binary people not get misgendered but this solution only works on a per server basis, so I am asking for Discord to consider adding this natively into the application and user accounts/profile sections also next to Nicknames/Usernames in chats.

Similar requests:

Pronoun Display Feature Request – Discord

Add pronouns as a dedicated part of user profiles – Discord

Suggestion: Gender pronouns! – Discord

Ability to display pronouns on your profile – Discord

Option to add pronouns next to usernames – Discord

[Suggestion] Add a section of the user profile specifically for pronouns. – Discord

Thank you,
Avery (They/Them)

Sources:

Pronoun Picker Bot FAQ – Discord
Pronouns | Center for Inclusion and Social Change | University of Colorado Boulder
Gender pronouns: Importance and how to be inclusive (medicalnewstoday.com)
Here's Why Gender Pronouns Are So Important (seventeen.com)
Just call me they: Why pronouns are important to me by Jamie Windust - BBC Bitesize
What to Know About Gender Pronouns, How to Use Them (insider.com)
Misgendering: What Is It and Why Is It Harmful? (healthline.com)
What Are Pronouns? Why Do They Matter? — MyPronouns.org Resources on Personal Pronouns
'She/They' and Other Pronouns You Might See on Candidate Profiles (linkedin.com)
Twitter to finally introduce pronouns to user profiles (pinknews.co.uk)
How to Change Gender on Facebook to Better Represent Yourself (businessinsider.com)
How do I add pronouns to my Instagram profile? | Instagram Help Centre
Full article: Experiences with Misgendering: Identity Misclassification of Transgender Spectrum Individuals (tandfonline.com)
Genderqueer: What Does It Mean? (healthline.com)
Why Is It Important To Share My Pronouns | Glamour UK (glamourmagazine.co.uk)
'CEO of aggressive allies' shares why pronouns are important (pinknews.co.uk)