No matter your race, gender, or sexuality we have all heard of older generations continuing to use racial slurs or disrespect people’s pronouns, even if it is not meant to offend the person. When there is an attempt to fix this, usually the excuses consist of, “They are from a different time,” or “It was fine to say that when they were growing up.” Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and freedom of speech but when it is damaging to other people’s mental health and feeling of safety, it is important to educate them on why and how this is not acceptable.

HRC.org has a very powerful article about a woman whose child is transgender and how she educated her child’s grandparents and created a safe environment. HRC.org says, “[The grandparents] may be inclined to use terms that are now considered offensive or derogatory because those terms are more familiar to them, and it may take more time for them to understand the importance of preferred gender pronouns.” When educating other generations, it is important to explain why these terms are no longer used or how these can affect people’s mental state. When pronouns are not respected it can lead to depression and dysphoria because it feels like the person is not accepted and feels pressurized to change their identity just to be treated “normal” again.

Some people might say that we should not have to have older people change their beliefs because they are used to having things a certain way. This is supported by Zdnet.com’s article stating, “Personality can continue to change somewhat in middle and old age, but openness to new experiences tends to decline gradually until about age 60.” That leads to the question, how do we fix this issue? Without education on the subject, you can still respect people’s gender and race, as well as honor their pronouns even if you do not agree with it personally. For example, two people who have completely different political views can still work in the same place or be good friends. It may be difficult and confusing to adapt to the change but the effort of wanting to change and respect the individual opinions and beliefs creates a safe environment for them to feel comfortable being them.

With an expanded knowledge on this subject; for example, when you know someone who is non-binary, transgender, or someone who has had an experience where they have been judged unfairly based on their race or sex, it makes you more understanding and empathetic to their struggles. Not only does it make you more self-aware of how your action can add to the feeling of not being accepted, causing pain to the individual, it makes you able to educate others on the subject. If one person above the age of 60 is adapting to these changes and shares this information with others it could cause more understanding and adaptability to things that were seen as “unnormal” or “not acceptable” in their childhood. Even with age it is important to be able to adapt and change into creating a safer environment for every race, gender and sexuality. Keeping an open mind and wanting to be a part of these changes is what benefits our society.