Three Democratic 2020 presidential hopefuls have added their pronouns to their social media bios in what LGBTQ advocates are calling a move of solidarity.
Elizabeth Warren, Julian Castro, and Bill de Blasio have all recently added their preferred pronouns to their official campaign Twitter accounts. While this move appears to be a small feat, LGBTQ advocacy groups GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaigns have celebrated the inclusion.
“Stating your pronouns publicly as a cisgender ally sends a strong signal of support to the LGBTQ community but particularly transgender and non-binary people that they are seen accepted, and supported,” Lucas Acosta, a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, told NBC News. Acosta added that outwardly stating pronouns “is a best practice for all campaigns at every level.”
“Politicians identifying and expressing their pronouns is a great representation of how to establish inclusive spaces for dialogue with potential voters,” Mathew Lasky, the director of communications at GLAAD, said. “As more people identify beyond the binary of male and female, identifying your pronouns in conversation is not only a great way to educate mainstream audiences about gender identity, but also to show conscious support for the LGBTQ community.”
A spokesperson for the Warren campaign explained the meaning behind the profile change.
“Elizabeth is committed to running an inclusive campaign,” said spokesperson Alexis Krieg, “and wants every person to know that they are welcome in this movement.”
Warren has been an outspoken ally to the LGBTQ community throughout her campaign. She has publicly supported the Equality Act and introduced the Refund Equality Act, which would provide subsidies to same-sex couples married before it was federally legal.