To celebrate this un-International Pronouns Day, I will publicize the absurd lengths to which my alma mater, Northwestern University, has gone to enable students' gender affectations. Please note that this is not April 1, even if the text reads like it was written by an April fool.
This slice of gender identity ideology makes me miss the profoundly heteronormative Northwestern of my era, the mid-1970s, when the definition of "woman" was "chick."
Finally, it will surprise no one that Northwestern does not demonstrate the same solicitude for the needs and sensibilities of its gay, bisexual and lesbian students. Naturally, the school queers gay people, often dispensing with the words "gay," "lesbian" and "bisexual" in favor of the hegemonic "queer." Don't get me started . . .
Pronouns are the words that we use to refer to a person in place of their name. Pronouns are helpful linguistic tools, but they also are meaningful tools to communicate identities and experiences.
Examples of usage:
• He/him: Sklyer went to the Norris Center to eat dinner, but he forgot his WildCard.
• Xe/xem: Maria left xyr backpack and xe has an important paper in there, can you go grab it for xem?
• They/them: Sam has a midterm next week, but they haven’t begun to study yet – they’re so busy with other work!
• She/hers: Erica is a dynamic speaker! Her presentation to our group left everyone feeling inspired. She really did well!
• None: Mateo is hosting office hours tomorrow afternoon, be sure to stop by as Mateo can help with the challenging concepts from last week’s lecture!
There is no exhaustive list of pronouns, but most of us are likely already familiar with a few commonly used ones. Many people use one or a combination of the following pronouns: he, she, they, xe, ze, and more. Some people do not use any pronouns and are called by their names. Everyone has a way to be referred to – learning someone’s pronouns is essential to communicating respectfully with one another.
Pronouns are especially relevant to transgender and non-binary students, staff, and faculty, who may experience misgendering, that is, the intentional or unintentional incorrect use of pronouns to refer to them – often in their daily lives.
In order to create a campus environment where all community members can thrive, including LGBTQIA community members, we must be intentional and proactive about our pronoun usage.
[Northwestern linked to Purdue University for this scholarly piece of indoctrination. It is lengthy, but readers' patience will be rewarded by the hilarious "Practice with Pronouns" module that comes after this section.]
What is a pronoun? Why do people use different ones? Why are he and she not enough?
Linguistically, personal pronouns are words that refer to people by replacing proper nouns, like names. A pronoun can refer to either a person performing an action or a person who is having an action done to them. Common pronouns include they/them/theirs, she/her/hers, and he/him/his. Pronouns often indicate the gender of a person; traditionally, he refers to males while she refers to females. While the English language does not have a unique gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun, they has been used to identify singular persons in speech, popular literature, and dictionary reference materials since at least the 12th century. In fact, singular use of they has been officially recognized as correct by several key bodies such as the Associated Press, American Psychological Association (APA) and Modern Language Association (MLA), the Oxford English Dictionary, and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Knowing that they can be used to refer to individual people allows writers to avoid defaulting to he or she in regular use. It is also important for people whose genders are neither male nor female. In the words of the Chicago Manual (17th ed.), "Some people identify not with a gender-specific pronoun but instead with the pronoun they and its forms or some other gender-neutral singular pronoun; any such preference should generally be respected."
What is gender inclusive language? What does it have to do with the OWL?
Historically, the OWL has had resources on gender inclusive language that mainly focus on incorporating women into general language—for instance, using “he or she” or just “she” as the pronoun for a general subject, rather than always defaulting to “he." Now, the conversation on gender inclusive language has expanded further to include people whose genders are neither male nor female (e.g., gender-nonconforming, gender-neutral, genderfluid, genderqueer, or nonbinary individuals, though this list is not exhaustive). In basic terms, this means that he and she are not sufficient to describe the genders of all people, because not all people identify as either male or female. As such, the phrase “he or she” does not cover the full range of persons.
The alternative pronoun most commonly used is they, often referred to as singular they. Here’s an example:
Someone left his or her backpack behind. → Someone left their backpack behind.
Since we don’t know the gender of the person who left their backpack behind, we use they to include all genders as possibilities for that mystery person. In addition to being respectful of people of all genders, this makes the sentence shorter and easier to say. In fact, almost all of us use this language on a regular basis without even thinking about it.
While they is already a common part of the English language, especially while speaking, there are other third-person singular pronouns that have come into use that you may encounter in writing. Some of these include zie/zim/zir and sie/sie/hir. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's LGBT Center has a chart with more options, but even this is not exhaustive.
Some things to keep in mind when using gender-inclusive pronouns:
Introducing Your Pronouns: If you are unsure of how to best ask for someone’s pronouns, you could introduce yourself and the pronouns you use. Thus, you invite the individual to give their pronouns as well if they so choose. For example:
Hello, my name is [insert], and my pronouns are she/her/hers; he/him/his; or they/them/theirs; etc.
Privacy: The main thing one should avoid is making assumptions about an individual’s gender identity. There is potential danger of outing someone who is trans or nonbinary who might not want that information disclosed. Pay attention to the situation and to how people refer to themselves. Ask everyone what pronouns they use (even if you think you know). Try to get into the habit of introducing yourself and your pronouns.
Mistakes Happen: As long as you are earnestly putting forth effort to be respectful to someone’s pronouns, small mistakes can be forgiven as long as you learn from them. Being aware of gender pronouns expresses to individuals that you are an ally. People are allowed to be people and ask how to be addressed since that is inherently their right.
Why should we use this kind of language?
Isn’t this incorrect grammar?
In short, no. Grammar shifts and changes over time; for instance, the clunky he or she that a singular they replaces is actually a fairly recent introduction into the language. Singular they has been used for a long time and is often used in casual situations; you probably do it yourself without realizing it. We are simply witnessing a reorientation of the rule, mostly with the intention of including more people in language.
When individuals whose gender is neither male nor female (e.g. nonbinary, agender, genderfluid, etc.) use the singular they to refer to themselves, they are using the language to express their identities. Adopting this language is one way writers can be inclusive of a broader range of people and identities.
Isn’t this political?
Conversations around language, gender and sexuality have always been political, as Dr. John d’Emilio, Professor of History and Gender and Women's Studies Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has discussed in his numerous publications. However, using gender-inclusive language and gender-neutral pronouns is not just a move for the sake of political correctness. As mentioned above, these practices are becoming officially recognized by language organizations and other official bodies.
This is some of the most idiotic garbage I have ever read. Rattling on and on about “identities” as if they’re anything more than screams for attention.
‘Sometimes I am a man sometimes I am agender ‘ - but at all times I am a complete and utter prick , there fixed it for you Christopher
“Gender” is a fictitious concept there is only sex: male and female. It is not a continuum.
He and she. Period.
To celebrate this un-International Pronouns Day, I will publicize the absurd lengths to which my alma mater, Northwestern University, has gone to enable students' gender affectations. Please note that this is not April 1, even if the text reads like it was written by an April fool.
This slice of gender identity ideology makes me miss the profoundly heteronormative Northwestern of my era, the mid-1970s, when the definition of "woman" was "chick."
If the following leaves readers thirsting for more, he/she/ze/xem can find it in spades at: https://www.northwestern.edu/gsrc/education/community-education/pronouns.html
Finally, it will surprise no one that Northwestern does not demonstrate the same solicitude for the needs and sensibilities of its gay, bisexual and lesbian students. Naturally, the school queers gay people, often dispensing with the words "gay," "lesbian" and "bisexual" in favor of the hegemonic "queer." Don't get me started . . .
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Pronouns
Pronouns are the words that we use to refer to a person in place of their name. Pronouns are helpful linguistic tools, but they also are meaningful tools to communicate identities and experiences.
Examples of usage:
• He/him: Sklyer went to the Norris Center to eat dinner, but he forgot his WildCard.
• Xe/xem: Maria left xyr backpack and xe has an important paper in there, can you go grab it for xem?
• They/them: Sam has a midterm next week, but they haven’t begun to study yet – they’re so busy with other work!
• She/hers: Erica is a dynamic speaker! Her presentation to our group left everyone feeling inspired. She really did well!
• None: Mateo is hosting office hours tomorrow afternoon, be sure to stop by as Mateo can help with the challenging concepts from last week’s lecture!
There is no exhaustive list of pronouns, but most of us are likely already familiar with a few commonly used ones. Many people use one or a combination of the following pronouns: he, she, they, xe, ze, and more. Some people do not use any pronouns and are called by their names. Everyone has a way to be referred to – learning someone’s pronouns is essential to communicating respectfully with one another.
Pronouns are especially relevant to transgender and non-binary students, staff, and faculty, who may experience misgendering, that is, the intentional or unintentional incorrect use of pronouns to refer to them – often in their daily lives.
In order to create a campus environment where all community members can thrive, including LGBTQIA community members, we must be intentional and proactive about our pronoun usage.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gendered Pronouns & Singular “They”
[Northwestern linked to Purdue University for this scholarly piece of indoctrination. It is lengthy, but readers' patience will be rewarded by the hilarious "Practice with Pronouns" module that comes after this section.]
What is a pronoun? Why do people use different ones? Why are he and she not enough?
Linguistically, personal pronouns are words that refer to people by replacing proper nouns, like names. A pronoun can refer to either a person performing an action or a person who is having an action done to them. Common pronouns include they/them/theirs, she/her/hers, and he/him/his. Pronouns often indicate the gender of a person; traditionally, he refers to males while she refers to females. While the English language does not have a unique gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun, they has been used to identify singular persons in speech, popular literature, and dictionary reference materials since at least the 12th century. In fact, singular use of they has been officially recognized as correct by several key bodies such as the Associated Press, American Psychological Association (APA) and Modern Language Association (MLA), the Oxford English Dictionary, and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Knowing that they can be used to refer to individual people allows writers to avoid defaulting to he or she in regular use. It is also important for people whose genders are neither male nor female. In the words of the Chicago Manual (17th ed.), "Some people identify not with a gender-specific pronoun but instead with the pronoun they and its forms or some other gender-neutral singular pronoun; any such preference should generally be respected."
What is gender inclusive language? What does it have to do with the OWL?
Historically, the OWL has had resources on gender inclusive language that mainly focus on incorporating women into general language—for instance, using “he or she” or just “she” as the pronoun for a general subject, rather than always defaulting to “he." Now, the conversation on gender inclusive language has expanded further to include people whose genders are neither male nor female (e.g., gender-nonconforming, gender-neutral, genderfluid, genderqueer, or nonbinary individuals, though this list is not exhaustive). In basic terms, this means that he and she are not sufficient to describe the genders of all people, because not all people identify as either male or female. As such, the phrase “he or she” does not cover the full range of persons.
The alternative pronoun most commonly used is they, often referred to as singular they. Here’s an example:
Someone left his or her backpack behind. → Someone left their backpack behind.
Since we don’t know the gender of the person who left their backpack behind, we use they to include all genders as possibilities for that mystery person. In addition to being respectful of people of all genders, this makes the sentence shorter and easier to say. In fact, almost all of us use this language on a regular basis without even thinking about it.
While they is already a common part of the English language, especially while speaking, there are other third-person singular pronouns that have come into use that you may encounter in writing. Some of these include zie/zim/zir and sie/sie/hir. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's LGBT Center has a chart with more options, but even this is not exhaustive.
Some things to keep in mind when using gender-inclusive pronouns:
Introducing Your Pronouns: If you are unsure of how to best ask for someone’s pronouns, you could introduce yourself and the pronouns you use. Thus, you invite the individual to give their pronouns as well if they so choose. For example:
Hello, my name is [insert], and my pronouns are she/her/hers; he/him/his; or they/them/theirs; etc.
Privacy: The main thing one should avoid is making assumptions about an individual’s gender identity. There is potential danger of outing someone who is trans or nonbinary who might not want that information disclosed. Pay attention to the situation and to how people refer to themselves. Ask everyone what pronouns they use (even if you think you know). Try to get into the habit of introducing yourself and your pronouns.
Mistakes Happen: As long as you are earnestly putting forth effort to be respectful to someone’s pronouns, small mistakes can be forgiven as long as you learn from them. Being aware of gender pronouns expresses to individuals that you are an ally. People are allowed to be people and ask how to be addressed since that is inherently their right.
Why should we use this kind of language?
Isn’t this incorrect grammar?
In short, no. Grammar shifts and changes over time; for instance, the clunky he or she that a singular they replaces is actually a fairly recent introduction into the language. Singular they has been used for a long time and is often used in casual situations; you probably do it yourself without realizing it. We are simply witnessing a reorientation of the rule, mostly with the intention of including more people in language.
When individuals whose gender is neither male nor female (e.g. nonbinary, agender, genderfluid, etc.) use the singular they to refer to themselves, they are using the language to express their identities. Adopting this language is one way writers can be inclusive of a broader range of people and identities.
Isn’t this political?
Conversations around language, gender and sexuality have always been political, as Dr. John d’Emilio, Professor of History and Gender and Women's Studies Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has discussed in his numerous publications. However, using gender-inclusive language and gender-neutral pronouns is not just a move for the sake of political correctness. As mentioned above, these practices are becoming officially recognized by language organizations and other official bodies.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Practice with Pronouns: https://www.practicewithpronouns.com/#/?_k=9sk7sb
Ugh
This is some of the most idiotic garbage I have ever read. Rattling on and on about “identities” as if they’re anything more than screams for attention.
Hey, Chris.
Fuck your gender identity.
I regard the singular they as an abomination and I will not associate with anyone who insists on using it.
“They” is plural. You’re one person. And a contemptible attention-starved moron.
So busy with pronouns that they cannot be bothered with comma splices.