How would you react if a young person corrected your use of the pronouns him or her and asked to be referred to as “they?” Just who is THEY? Our rapidly changing social environment has begun to include a new style in which the binary gender (him or her only) is NOT automatically accepted. Gender has become a more fluid continuum for some of our young people.
On Tuesday April 21 at 7 pm at 914 Gateway Drive in Chestertown, MD (at the Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River) our panel will explore new use of language as well as other factors which help our young people feel affirmed and accepted in our community settings. Whether in a school, church, your home or on the street, many adults would benefit if become more aware of our use and misuse of language with younger folks.We invite you to begin simply to notice the power of our words, our stereotypes, and our institutionalized biases when applied to one’s gender orientation. Our speakers will expand our thinking beyond LGBTQ topics and speak about language use and self-awareness as relevant topics for humans of all shapes, sizes, orientation, and ages!
Our panel members are:
Catherine Hyde has volunteered since 2008 with PFLAG (Parents and Allies working with LGBTQ communities). She serves on PFLAG’s National Board, Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Advisory Panel, and as Mid-Atlantic Regional Director. Catherine is a parent to a 21-year-old trans child.
Sue Garner, Chair of PFLAG Columbia-Howard County, MD, was a school psychologist with the Howard County Public School System for 38 years. She remains involved in training school staffs and university graduate students on “Creating a Safe School Environment for LGBTQ Students.” Sue speaks and trains on the challenges facing our LGBT students and what the school system can do to support them.
Sue Ellen Thompson resides in Oxford, MD and is the parent of a gender queer child. She is also a nationally recognized poet. Her work has been read on National Public Radio by Garrison Keillor, featured in U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser’s nationally syndicated newspaper column, and has received numerous awards, including the 1986 Samuel French Morse Prize, the 2003 Pablo Neruda Prize, and two Individual Artist’s Grants from the State of Connecticut. She is the author of five books, most recently They (Turning Point Books, 2014).
We feel it is important to help one another by learning together. It’s time for adult leaders to expand our awareness of this new social environment and language for the sake of and with the help of our youth. If you would like more information, please email
PFLAGChestertown.com or call 443 480 3138 to leave a message.
Karen Smith says
They? Really? Youngsters actually want to be referred to as PLURAL? Perhaps a course in English grammar would help.