Sheryl Lee Ralph Encourages “People of A Certain Age” To Respect Young People’s Preferred Pronouns

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V eteran actress Sheryl Lee Ralph has a message for her older fans regarding their attitudes towards trans and non-gender conforming people, particularly young people. In a video message shared on Instagram by The Black Media account, the Abbott Elementary star addressed her followers “of a certain age — over 40,” hitting them with a public service announcement about how the world is changing and perceptions about gender are evolving. Ralph told her followers that even if they struggle to understand and accept the idea of gender fluidity, the least they can do is refer to young people — and people of all ages, for that matter — by their preferred names and pronouns.

“Some of the things you used to do and say when you were young, they’re not going to work right now, OK?” the 67-year-old said. “These children right about now, they want to be called by their name. They want to be respected with their pronouns.”

“Now, I know it might be hard for some of you to say, ‘Hey, Apple, how you doing?’” Ralph continued. “It might even be more difficult for some folks when maybe they don’t look like a ‘he’ or a ‘she’ to you, but they want to be called ‘they,’ ‘him,’ or ‘her.’”

Seriously, it’s not that hard to simply call people what they want to be called. It’s not difficult to treat people with dignity and respect even if you don’t quite understand how they identify, which, when it comes down to it, is simply because you don’t know their lived experience.

From The Grio :

As Ralph indicated, it’s a matter of respect — but using gender-expansive language has deeper implications that also prove her points about the generational divides that often occur. According to the National Institutes of Health and recent studies , approximately 20% of millennials identify as LGBTQ, more than twice the rate of previous generations. Additionally, 56% of Gen Z participants, which NIH recognizes as “the most diverse generation in the US,” know at least one person who uses gender-neutral pronouns; a now relatively common occurrence compared to prior generations.

Shout out to Sheryl Lee Ralph for using her platform to speak up and speak out for the youth and calling for tolerance, understanding and respect from older generations. This energy is much needed.

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