University will offer 'pronoun pins' to let people pick their gender

Libraries at Kansas University will soon be offering students, staff and visitors the opportunity to wear buttons to identify their preferred gender pronouns.

According to the Lawrence Journal-World, the buttons are part of a year-long effort to promote a "welcoming environment on campus.

They say "He/Him/His," "She/Her/Hers" or "They/Them/Theirs."

The school launched a marketing campaign called "You Belong Here," in order to show that it is warm, welcoming and tolerant.

"Because gender is, itself, fluid and up to the individual, each person has the right to identify their own pronouns, and we encourage you to ask before assuming someone's gender," a sign in the library reads, according to local media.

It goes on to explain that "misgendering" people can lead to emotional distress.

The campaign as a whole aims to turn KU's library into a "safe space," and use "You Belong Here" signs across the school to identify gender-neutral bathrooms and accommodations.

"A commitment to support the voices of marginalized people is part and parcel to the libraries' commitment to the values of the First Amendment," Kevin Smith, the university's libraries dean, told the Washington Post.

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