Lived Name & Pronoun Badge Initiative
Enoch Pratt Free Library, Md.
Innovation Synopsis
The lived name and pronoun badge is designed to fully embrace employee diversity and make employees feel valued in their daily lived experiences and interactions. Lived name refers to the name a person selects to represent themselves and is typically tied to their gender identity and/or aligns with the desired presentation of self.
Challenge/Opportunity
To inclusively support employees to be presented and addressed in a way that reflects who they truly are without the distress of unnecessary questioning and/or explanation. It provides employees the right to be presented as they see fit, by name AND pronoun. The model and diverse options presented are values-driven and empowerment tools that capture the value of inclusiveness on behalf of our employees while introducing customers to the values of the Pratt, encouraging customers to also embrace their individuality.
Key Elements of Innovation
Our graphic designers incorporated individualized colorful images that celebrate literature, science, culture, spiritual, meditation, food, gender and sexual identity, sports, physical fitness, yoga, nature and conservation, family and heritage and culture, to introduce not only what one is called, but also a bit about who one is. In this way, the badge is a potential relationship builder, offering cross-social understanding and communication with our staff and the public.
Achieved Outcomes
Success will be measured by pre-/post- employee surveys indicating if correct name and pronoun usage has been unchanged, removed or reduced, and will inform mitigating actions to support and foster an inclusive and respectful workplace. Survey outcomes will dictate the type of intervention that will be required, e.g., clarity on gender expression, improved comfort levels of language, etc. We will engage LGBTQIA community partners who have expertise in the areas where we require specific attention.
