Principles

Write about people in a way that is in keeping with our mission and values, and furthers our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.

Try to actively reduce harm with language, and recognize that words mean things. 

The most critical thing to practice when writing about people is humanity. We rely on three overarching principles:

• There is no need to describe people’s gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, mental health, age, or other aspects of their identity unless it’s relevant. 
• Never make assumptions about any aspect of another person’s identity. 
• Always consider your audience and the context of what you’re writing about.

Non-binary language

Don’t use terms that reinforce a static gender binary. Use neutral, non-binary language:

• colleagues, teammates, team
• people or person
• all, everyone 
• you, them, their (singular)

Gender and Sexuality

When someone’s sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, or family relationships is relevant, check your assumptions and avoid defaulting to heteronormativity and cisnormativity.

• Use spouse or partner instead of husband and wife.
• Use parent instead of mother and father.

On forms, don't include gender as a field.

Pronouns

When writing about someone, ask what pronouns they use. If someone doesn't share their pronouns, you can: 

• Repeat a person’s name where you might use a pronoun. 
• Use their and they as singular personal pronouns for any person. (This usage has been around for thousands of years.)

When referring to a person's pronoun use, don't write "preferred pronouns." Instead:

• Tanner’s pronouns are they and them. 
• Tanner uses they and them pronouns. 

Names

People change their names for all sorts of reasons. If you are writing about someone, use their current, chosen name. 

For those who do so (whether legally or not) to align with their gender identity, using their birth or former name without permission is called “deadnaming” and can be harmful. Read more about this and more in the Trans Journalists Associations Style Guide.

Race, ethnicity, and religion

Most of the time race, ethnicity, and religion will be irrelevant to what you are writing for the library website. Ask individuals how they want their race, ethnicity, or religious identity to be described when it’s relevant. 

Don’t center whiteness or treat it as a default. For example, don’t use terms like skin, flesh, or nude to describe color palettes, or use phrases such as non-white or minorities.

Resources like the Diversity Style Guide provide context about different words to help you choose thoughtfully when writing about race, ethnicity, and religion.

Age

If someone’s age is relevant, be precise (with an exact age, or a generalization such as "people in their 20s"). 

Don't use language that people may find belittling or condescending, such as elderly, aged, or youngster. 

While it’s appropriate to use generational labels (such as Millennials or Baby Boomers) when describing data or demographics, do not use them as characteristics to describe individuals.

Disability and mental health

If someone’s disability or mental health is relevant, ask the person how they prefer to be described. 

While the person-first language approach (for example, “people who have low vision”) is useful for general descriptions, don't use it at the expense of an individual's personal preference.

Stay away from deficit-framing (defining people by their perceived problems) and don’t use phrases like “suffers from,” “struggles with,” or “victim of” to describe them either.

• Use this: Bob uses a wheelchair.
• Not this: Bob is wheel-chair bound.
• Or this: Bob is confined to a wheelchair.

You can find more guidance in resources like the Disability Language Style Guide and the Center for Disability Rights’ Disability Writing Guidelines.