Gender-Neutral Pronouns and Consumers’ Microaggressions Towards “Them”

This research draws on theories from psychology, advertising, and consumer behaviour to examine how consumers will react to non-binary individuals in service situations. Results from an experiment show that consumers tend to evaluate the service offered by non- binary people as lower than their male counterparts. A lowered rating of service observed in this research may negatively impact inclusive businesses that tend to follow diversity and inclusion practices. Further, in this research, managerial implications and future research directions are discussed.