Page 3 - The Leadership Line: June 2022

5. Use “they or their” wherever possible, as opposed to 7. Remember that you can’t tell someone’s gender
“his or her” to include people who may not identify just by looking at their appearance. So, share your
with the pronouns his or her. pronouns first and invite others to share theirs with
6. Respect a person’s privacy and journey. Although it is you.
good to ask what pronouns or names a person uses,
never ask anyone about gender-affirming surgeries
or medical transitioning status. Not asking someone
about their medical history or plans for surgery is
common sense at work regardless of someone’s
gender identity.

Executive Order on preventing and

combating discrimination

On July 21, 2014, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order (EO) 13672. The
new EO added sexual orientation and gender identity to the prohibited bases of
discrimination in EO 11246 (“the protected bases”). As a reminder, the protected
categories are race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national
origin. As legal claims based on the gender-identity increase, concurrently, a social
movement has formed to call and ask individuals their personally designated pronouns.
As businesses seek ways to promote and expand diversity, equity, and inclusion in their
hiring practices and workplaces, more questions about personal pronouns are arising.
Resistant managers can open themselves up to liability if they either refuse to use the
employee’s self-identified pronoun or do not speak to that employee in gender-neutral
ways.
After being taught in school that there are only two genders, it can be challenging to
hear how broad the gender spectrum is.
As we focus on building a more inclusive culture at MIL, don’t worry if you occasionally
get terms mixed up or forget what a word means. Recognizing that you’ve still got more
to learn is part of the process. Acknowledge your slip-ups, extend the same level of
respect to everyone, and be open to hearing more about the lived experiences of others
whose genders vary from your own.

New & improved! For Managers microsite

MIL managers now have a new and improved tool in their management toolbox—MIL’s For Managers microsite.
The new site, launched on May 31, is designed to serve as a clearinghouse for current guidance, policies, and
forms used daily by MIL managers at all levels. The refresh offers resources to help keep managers informed
and to serve as an easily accessible repository to the company’s management assets. Along with MIL-specific
resources such as copies of MIL’s The Leadership Line newsletter and department-specific documents, the For
Managers site also offers links to motivational “Ted Talks,” performance management guidance, information on
professional training, and a variety of other industry tools and resources.