It's important to respect others, regardless of whether or not you disagree with them you should show another person the basic respect that you expect them to show to you in any given situation. So when you interact with someone, there are some pretty standard norms one should follow. We generally call this "being polite."

When it comes to the LGBT+ community, being polite also extends to the proper use of pronouns. He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, etc. are important validations for the Trans community. And part of every interaction you have with someone, whether they are transgender or not, will involve some use of pronoun at some point so it's critical that you get it right. It's okay to ask what someone's pronouns are. In fact, it's polite to ask if you don't know. And the more that each of us asks, the more normalised the asking becomes; therefore the more normalised the Trans community becomes. Just don't assume that you know someone's pronouns based on their appearance, that's wrong and can be incredibly frustrating and hurtful.

Likewise, when dealing with the AB/DL community, it's important to refer to someone by their proper role, when appropriate (meaning "in scene"). Don't assume you know someone's role based on their online appearance, friend group, or other nebulous information you've gleaned from afar. For example, I get messages all the time from random people who assume I'm a little. I am not. It's really frustrating, especially since I go out of my way to explain in multiple places that I am not a little. Similarly, I know littles who are constantly hounded by other littles looking for a caretaker. This just isn't how it works, folks. If you don't know, don't assume: ASK.

Assuming something makes an ASS of U and ME. It's right there in the word: ASS of U and ME… ASS-U-ME.

Be polite. Be kind. Rewind.