#MyNameIs...

You may have noticed the phonetic spelling of my name at the top of each page on this website. It's something I was introduced to a few years ago by the Race Equality Matters #MyNameIs phonetic name-spelling campaign.

My first name doesn't seem to present too many difficulties for most of the people I interact with, but I've lost count of the number of times my surname has been mangled into variations of Skee-ney, Screen-ey, Swee-ney, etc. And then there's the mild micro-aggressions like "Oh that's an unusual one", "Where does it come from?", etc.

Most people are fine with Sceeny ("See-nee") once they've had the correct pronunciation explained, but it does underline the importance of respecting people's names: taking time to understand what they prefer to be called, as well as the right way to say and spell their name.

...Slim Shady

As well as on this website, all of my formal email signatures include a phonetic spelling of my name (as well as confirmation of my pronouns). It's an easy thing to add, as well as being helpful to anyone who's unsure or a gentle prompt to those who'd otherwise probably just blunder in with however they 'think' it should be pronounced.

And if you're someone whose name is rarely misspelt or mispronounced, please also consider adding a phonetic spelling - if only because it helps send a message about allyship and the importance of respecting people's names.