Editing Guide for journalists

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Writing about [[Nonbinary gender|nonbinary people]] can be tricky if you're unfamiliar with nonbinary issues. There are some mistakes that different journalists commonly make, so this article aims to address the most frequent.

==What to do==
* '''Ask the person what their [[Pronouns|pronouns]] are''', and if necessary, how to use them. Then ''use the right pronouns'' in the article. If it's not possible to ask someone what their pronouns are, default to "they/them" or avoid pronouns.
* If an article is about something other than their nonbinary gender, '''stick to the subject'''. Don't ramble on about their gender; something short like "Sam, who is nonbinary, said of their amazing scientific achievement..." rather than "Sam came out as nonbinary seven years ago, and their co-workers accept their gender and..."
* '''Consider whether mentioning their gender is even necessary''', by substituting a [[binary genders|binary gender]] to see if it feels awkward. "Sam, who is a woman, said of her amazing scientific achievement..." sounds very awkward, so in that sentence shouldn't include someone's gender; inclusive pronouns are enough.
* '''Assume that mentioning they're transgender is not necessary or relevant.'''

==What not to do==
* '''Do not mention whether someone was "born a boy/girl"''' or similar. It's not relevant, and it's often private information. More importantly, even if everyone knows, this information is protected by law under the [[Equality Act 2010]].
* '''Do not mention the [[deadname|name someone was given at birth]]''' or by their parents. It was chosen before the person was able to articulate their gender and express it accurately. If a person has changed their name, they no longer wish to be known by it; respect that.

==Common cliches==
Avoid where possible!
* Illustration: toilet doors

==External links==
* [http://www.glaad.org/reference/ GLAAD Media Reference Guide], specifically [http://www.glaad.org/reference/transgender GLAAD Media Reference Guide - Transgender Issues]. A guide for journalists on how to talk about transgender issues in general. Useful for some points not covered here.
* {{Cite web |title=Five tips for journalists on covering trans and nonbinary people |last=Wallace |first= Lewis Raven |work=Columbia Journalism Review |date=September 30, 2019 |url= https://www.cjr.org/analysis/trans-nonbinary-subjects-tips.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230509010919/https://www.cjr.org/analysis/trans-nonbinary-subjects-tips.php |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}
* {{Cite web |title=The Radical Copyeditor’s Style Guide for Writing About Transgender People |author=Kapitan, Alex |authorlink=Alex Kapitan |work=Radical Copyeditor |date=August 31, 2017 |url= https://radicalcopyeditor.com/2017/08/31/transgender-style-guide/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223040447/https://radicalcopyeditor.com/2017/08/31/transgender-style-guide/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}
* [https://transjournalists.org/style-guide/ Trans Journalists Association: Style Guide]

[[Category:Visibility]]