Misgendering refers to the practice of referring to people (especially transgender people) with words that do not reflect their gender. These words may include pronouns such as he/him or she/her or honorifics such as Mr. or Miss.
Any use of language that undermines someone else's gender identity is misgendering.
Misgendering can happen accidentally. However, it is also done on purpose by those wishing to disrespect someone's gender identity. Purposefully misgendering can be an aggressive act of bullying.
Many trans people deal with being misgendered on a regular basis and this can have severe emotional consequences. To avoid accidentally misgendering others, refrain from assuming gender and ask people which pronouns they prefer.
