Affirmed
(adj)
Affirmed, as in affirmed name, affirmed gender, affirmed pronouns, and so on, is an adjective that refers to an individual’s true gender or identity, as opposed to the name or pronouns that they were assigned at birth. Use the word “affirmed” instead of “preferred,” “new,” or “chosen” because these features of a person’s identity are stronger than a preference. (Source)
Examples: On the first day of school, a student requests their teacher to use her affirmed name, Lucy, and the pronouns ‘she/her.’ Lucy has not yet been able to get her name updated on her school ID, but she would like to.
Why it’s important to know this: Using transgender and nonbinary people’s affirmed name and pronouns is associated with lower depression, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior in transgender students (Source).
Research shows that LGBTQ students at schools with many affirming adults are absent less often due to safety concerns, achieve higher GPAs, and have a stronger sense of belonging at school (compared to those with fewer affirming adults at school; source).