themselves, or have a sibling or child who is.
8. If you're really intent on becoming inclusive, immerse your-
self. Exposure therapy works. I recommend watching Trans, a
documentary available on Prime. It centers on Christine McGinn,
MD, a plastic surgeon who does transgender surgery and is trans-
gender herself. If you live near a university or work at a university
facility, make a point of attending some of the LGBTQIA2S+ events
on campus. Follow LGBTQIA2S+ people on social media.
Practice introducing yourself with your pronouns to your col-
leagues, friends and patients. "Hi, I'm Dr. Shanna Kattari, I use
the pronouns 'she' and 'her.'"
There are lots of books on the subject; UCLA's Williams
Institute has a wonderful compendium of titles. The Fenway
Institute, which is associated with Boston's Fenway Health, offers
a number of helpful webinars and presentations on LGBTQIA2S+
health, and so does the University of California at San Francisco.
9. Practice using gender-inclusive personal pronouns— "they,"
"their" and "them"—in place of gendered pronouns. When you think
about it, it's not that hard. If you find a cell phone in a restaurant, for
example, you'd tell the waiter, "Someone left their phone." Cute dog;
you ask "What's their name?" Practice describing patients this way
to colleagues. "The patient came in, they're 34 years old, I spoke to
them, they signed off on the lap chole, so-and-so will pick them up
after the procedure."
10. If you mess up, apologize and move on. "Nurse, can you
please bring those forms for him? Sorry, I mean, can you please
bring those forms for them?"
11. Don't be afraid to ask relevant anatomical questions, but
explain why you're asking. If the patient has a broken arm,
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