At Crumb, we are proud to represent an incredible roster of LGBTQIA individuals and with our ethos in affecting change for the better within the fashion and advertising industries, it is of paramount importance that all our talent are treated with dignity, respect and compassion.

Taking some time to understand more about the Queer community is an easy way to show your support, allegiance and will help ensure that campaigns, sets and conversations are welcoming and tonally correct. We hope that this document will help answer questions and guide people on how to navigate language, terminology, pronouns, best practice and other questions or thoughts people might have. We welcome any questions people might have, and encourage people to get in touch if there is anything they need support with.

This is a friendly guide written by the team here at Crumb Agency to offer you support and information of how is best to work alongside Queer talent. It’s here to ensure working relationships are grounded in a sense of care and respect whilst building strong and long lasting relationships between commercial brands and our Queer talent.

We ask that you take a moment to read through this document, take it onboard and hopefully keep it to hand if you any questions arise in the future.

We believe that the future of advertising depends on inclusivity and equal representation of all marginalised communities, and that global brands can work with the Queer community to set a precedent on how it should, and can be done.

Glossary

While we include a glossary in this policy, we also acknowledge that there are multiple ways of explaining or expressing people's identities. People's understanding might differ across different contexts, countries and can change and evolve.

It is therefore always important to avoid assuming what terms people use, and instead ask people and find out what terms they feel comfortable using.

CISGENDER OR CIS : Someone whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth.

DEADNAMING : Calling someone by their birth name after they have changed their name. This term is often associated with trans people who have changed their name as part of their transition.

FEMME : A term used in LGBTQIA culture to describe someone who expresses themselves in a typically feminine way. There are other identities within the scope of femme, such as ‘low femme’,’high femme’ and ‘hard femme’. Always make sure you ask what terms people feel comfortable using and avoid assuming.

GNC/Gender Non-Conforming : Where one's gender norms or gender expression do not match the male/female traits expected by society. ("Trans*" or"transgender" is sometimes used interchangeably with GNC, but more often refers to one's gender expression or identity being inconsistent with the one assigned at one's birth.)

GENDER : Often expressed in terms of masculinity and femininity, gender is largely culturally determined and is assumed from the sex assigned at birth.

GENDER IDENTITY : A person’s innate sense of their own gender, whether male, female or something else (see non-binary below), which may or may not correspond to the sex assigned at birth.

LGBTQIA : The acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer, intersex, asexual.

NON-BINARY : An umbrella term for people whose gender identity doesn’t sit comfortably with ‘man’ or ‘woman’. Non-binary identities are varied and can include people who identify with some aspects of binary identities, while others reject them entirely.

PRONOUN : Words we use to refer to people’s gender in conversation - for example, ‘he’ or ‘she’. Some people may prefer others to refer to them in gender neutral language and use pronouns such as ‘they/theirs’.

QUEER : Queer is a term used by those wanting to reject specific labels of romantic orientation, sexual orientation and/or gender identity

TRANS : An umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth. Trans people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to) transgender, transsexual, gender-queer (GQ), gender-fluid, non-binary.

TRANSGENDER MAN : A term used to describe someone who is assigned female at birth but identifies and lives as a man. This may be shortened to trans man, or FTM, an abbreviation for female-to-male.

TRANSGENDER WOMAN : Term used to describe someone who is assigned male at birth but identifies and lives as a woman. This may be shortened to trans woman, or MTF, an abbreviation for male-to-female.

TRANSITIONING : The steps a trans person may take to live in the gender with which they identify. Each person’s transition will involve different things. For some this involves medical intervention, such as hormone therapy and surgeries, but not all trans people want or are able to have this. Transitioning also might involve things such as telling friends and family, dressing differently and changing official documents.

TRANSPHOBIA : The fear or dislike of someone based on the fact they are trans, including denying their gender identity or refusing to accept it.Transphobia may be targeted at people who are, or who are perceived to be, trans.


How Do I Know An Individual's Pronouns?

If You Are Unsure, Just Politely Ask.

‘May I ask your pronouns?’
It is important not to assume a person's gender identity or pronouns from their name alone. Sometimes their pronouns might be different than what we expect, so it is always best to ask people. This shouldn't stop us from interacting with trans people or make us avoid them - and we should always do our best to approach these conversations with an openness and a willingness to listen to people's needs.

TIP : Don't assume someones gender from how they appear and avoid using gender neutral pronouns for everyone. It is also important to note that we shouldn't just use they/them pronouns for every trans person we interact with, especially not if they have told us they want use a different pronoun.

If we just apply a blanket they/them rule to all trans people, we are also misgendering those who use a different one. It's therefore important we make an effort to remember and use the pronouns we are asked at all times.


How should I use gender neutral language?

Quite simply, it should be used at the same points you would use gendered language such as he/she. If a human is repeatedly misgendered or no attempt is made to correct a mistake, it can cause real pain, upset and make them feel hugely uncomfortable. With a small amount of effort we can ensure a positive experience for all parties involved in the booking process if pronouns are acknowledged and respected.

TIP : Practise using they/them with friends or colleagues first so it becomes second nature and avoids any missteps when addressing a trans individual.


But what if I make a mistake?

We are all human and can make mistakes. If we do, it's important not to dwell on the mistake or over-apologise - simply apologise, correct yourself and move on.

Example: "Susan will be joining our production team. He will be- Oh, I'm sorry, she will be coming to our meeting tomorrow."

If we at Crumb feel that repeated disregard has been given to one of our Queer talents pronouns, we withhold the right to decline to proceed with working on a project or with a specific client/agency. We appreciate that mistakes happen, but it’s how those mistakes are corrected and learnt from that matters. It’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure others are treated with respect and kindness and it’s imperative that this is understood when booking one of our LGBTQIA humans

Kindness and empathy cost nothing.

How can I offer an environment that is welcoming to talent from the Queer Community?

Facilities & Physical Space

Make sure gender neutral toilets/changing facilities are provided. Everyone should be able to use the facilities that feel right for them without being questioned or challenged

Where possible, offer private changing spaces for those who may not feel comfortable in communal settings.

Don’t separate wardrobe, makeup, or trailers by gender unless absolutely necessary. Always ask talent what setup they feel most comfortable with.

Styling, Wardrobe & Presentation

Don’t guess someone’s comfort level with clothing, body types, or style preferences based on appearance or name alone. Instead ask how they would like to present, and collaborate on wardrobe choices when possible.

Make sure wardrobe and makeup choices respect and support how the talent identifies, especially when not dictated by character

Pronouns & Language

Share and use pronouns consistently. At the start of the day or during introductions, ask everyone to share name, pronouns, and role. Include pronouns on call sheets, name tags and walkie tags or badges.

Talent inclusive introductions, such as:

“Hi, I’m Ayo, I use they/them pronouns, and I'm the Production Coordinator".

Politely correct people when they misgender someone or use the wrong name. If someone continues misgendering someone, try to have a private, supportive conversation and offer resources to help them improve, and emphasise the importance of respecting everyone on set.

Crew Awareness and Conduct

From Director to HMUA, gaffers to runners, ensure everyone knows the talent’s pronouns and understands how to use them respectfully

Make sure everyone is briefed on the importance of creating a safe, inclusive space. If possible, have someone on set trained in LGBTQIA+ inclusivity available to handle concerns privately and supportively.

Safety & Transportation

LGBTQIA+ talent may face harassment on public transport. It is important to be aware of this and mitigate risks.

Always budget for an offer taxis or private rides, especially for early morning or late-night shoots. Factor this into the production budget as a standard inclusion measure.

When shooting abroad it is important to research local laws and attitudes toward LGBTQIA+ individuals. Provide safe accommodation, private transport, and closed sets where needed. Consider hiring a local fixer or liaison to support LGBTQIA+ safety.

How can you ensure your Pride campaign is authentic and tonally correct?

It is important that Pride campaigns come off as genuine, respectful and authentic. This means that LGBTQIA+ should be involved at all stages of production, and their vision should guide the campaign. It is easy to get something wrong if people with lived experience aren't a part of creating the campaign.

Furthermore, the values of such campaigns should translate into all of our work - where we work from an inclusive stand point and support all our talent, staff and LGBTQIA+ people we work with at all times.

We hosted a series of roundtables with our Crumb Queer talent to understand more on what makes a campaign feel 'right' and what to be aware of. The key points from those conversations are below:

Charitable Donation

Alongside a Pride/Queer campaign, our talent flagged that a charitable donation from a brand to a Queer focussed charity is key to show that the brand truly means working with the LGBTQIA community, and that they are willing to put their money where their mouth is. It is key that brands also show their allegiance to the Queer community, all year round, and not just at Pride.

Queer Consultancy

We value all our clients and the talent we rep, and have written the above to try and educate with the aim of avoiding any miscommunications and hurt caused in the future. As an agency, we are here to help this process and are always happy to advise and help you ensure an authentic and positive relationship with our Crumb LGBTQIA talent.

Our Crumb Queer talent are available for consultancy opportunities; where they are booked to work within the campaign rather than being the last piece of the puzzle. If you are interested in finding out more about this and how it could benefit any Pride/Queer campaigns you may be working on please email hello@crumbagency.com