Pic 0: A title card appears, then the screen transitions to a close-up of Amira’s face with the content warning “The following content may be triggering” before proceeding to the scene of Eve, Amira, and Frank sitting at a table.
Pic 1: A series of phrases and questions appear around Amira’s face, including:
Amira: Comments, questions, and assumptions around people’s identities happen casually, frequently, and often without harmful intent. But these seemingly small things, they add up. It’s what some refer to as death by a thousand paper cuts.
Pic 2: The previous phrases and questions are replaced by new ones, including:
Being a Black Muslim woman, people say things to and about me, well, every day. And they have for my whole life, and that’s hard to ignore.
Frank: I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through that. Harmful words and ideas can ruin a sense of belonging or safety, especially when they compound over time.
Eve: For me, being a woman studying clinical science, there’ve been moments I felt, well, like I didn’t belong. Take this moment in Dr. Lavin’s (she gestures toward Frank) class.
Pic 3: The screen changes to one which contains a word bubble conversation between Frank and a male student.
Sam: So, his research concluded that the mental health of the participants increased significantly.
Frank: Sam, the case study never used a gendered pronoun for the doctor.
Sam: So?
Frank: When you say “he” it assumes that doctors are men.
Pic 4: An icon of Eve joins Frank and Sam with speech bubbles.
Eve: Yeah, I mean, assuming that the doctor’s a guy sounds like you’re saying women aren’t doctors.
Frank: And we want to make sure everyone feels included.
Eve: I, I don’t always,
Frank: Okay. Do you want to talk about it, Eve?
Eve: Like, have you realized that every guest speaker we’ve had, every video we’ve watched, every image we’ve seen, have all been men?
Sam: Oh, come on. That’s just the material that’s out there. It doesn’t mean anything.
Frank: (takes a beat and a breath) Eve, I can understand how all of this caused you to feel left out and fed the assumption of men as the default. I will make sure our materials represent more diverse perspectives.
Pic 5: The screen returns to Eve, Amira, and Frank at the table.
Frank: It was hard when the conversation turned on me, and my initial reaction was to get defensive. I was the one who started the dialogue. I had to take a moment and a breath because I knew I needed to be a role model, a leader. I needed to show some vulnerability, ask questions, and most importantly, listen.
Eve: Dr. Lavin had created a classroom culture where I felt like I could share.
Frank: Small changes can make a big difference. Like using inclusive materials and inclusive language.
Pic 6: The screen changes to a slide which reads:
Inclusive language and actions are free from:
Pic 7: The screen returns to Eve, Amira, and Frank at the table.
Eve: It’s not about being politically correct or fashionable. It’s about showing respect.
Amira: It’s okay to not always know the right thing to say. I know for myself, this can especially be true when discussing someone’s identity. This is an area I’m always working on and looking to learn more about.
Pic 8: The screen changes to a slide with the text “You might ask:” at the top and a list of possible questions.
“Are you comfortable sharing how you identify?”
“Is there anything about your background you would like to share with me?”
“I use he/him pronouns. Can I ask what pronouns you use?”
Pic 9: The screen returns to the group at the table.
Amira: Eve, would you like to share how you identify?
Pic 10: The words “pansexual,” “cis,” and “Latina” appear underneath Eve. After a moment, the word “Latine” appears as well, in blue.
Eve: Sure! I identify as a pansexual cis Latina. I also like to use Latinx when speaking in general about my community. Latine is a gender-neutral term to describe those of Latin American descent.
Pic 11: The word “Mexican” appears underneath the word “Latine.”
But some people prefer to name their specific country of origin or descent, like Mexican instead of Latine.
I’m a cis woman because I identify as female and that aligns with society’s expectations of the sex I was assigned at birth. I use both she and they pronouns which feels authentic to me.
And when I say I’m pansexual for me it means I’m attracted to people regardless of their sex or gender identity. But to be clear saying I’m pansexual doesn’t give people permission to ask about my sex life. You’d be surprised how many people ask me questions I know they’d never ask a straight friend.
Pic 12: The words “Black,” “Muslim,” “straight,” and “cis woman” appear under Amira’s face.
Amira: Think about what questions you’re asking and how you’re asking them. I’m a Black Muslim straight cis woman. I’ve heard, “If you’re Muslim, you’re not Black. You’re Middle Eastern, right?” I’m Muslim because I practice Islam. It’s my religion, not my ethnicity.
Pic 13: The screen changes to one with text that reads “In order to help create an inclusive environment, ask questions that show:” and a series of bullet points.