Ze/Hir/Hir/Hirs/Hirself : These are the pronouns I prefer to use. Ze, pronounced "zee", and Hir, pronounced "here", are two of the most common gender neutral pronouns. NOTE: There are a few different ways to spell "ze", but this is the spelling I use. Example: Ze is going to the movies tonight. That is hir ticket. Ze likes hirself.
There are a lot more gender neutral pronouns than that. It can be a little difficult to keep track of them, so I'll list a few more sets.
Xe/Xem/Xyr/Xyrs/Xemself
E/Em/Eir/Eirs/Emself
Ve/Ver/Vis/Vis/Virself
Yo/Yon/Yos/Yos/Yoself
Ne/Nem/Nir/Nirs/Nemself
They/Them/Their/Theirs/Theirself
WARNING: "It" is a gender neutral pronoun. That does not mean that you can call someone who is gender non-binary an "it". It's dehumanizing and just plain rude. How would you like to be called an "it"? DON'T DO IT!!!!
What's the importance of pronouns? Well, they shape our reality. And I don't mean that the pronouns you use can change the laws of physics, but they do determine the world we live in. Whether you use male, female, or gender neutral pronouns determines the kinds of interactions you have with the rest of society. Pronouns are an important part of our identity, even if we don't realize it. And because it's so important, they should be respected. If someone tells you that they are gender non-binary (gender fluid, third gender, agender, etc.), you should ask what their preferred pronouns are. It's better to get that out of the way in the beginning than to call someone by the wrong pronouns. As I said before, "it" is not an acceptable pronoun. Also, "he/she" is really rude. That is a derogatory term, so don't ever use it. Overall, just be respectful of each other. People should be able to use whatever pronouns they want.
Please, feel free to post questions in the comments below. I will answer questions in future posts, so ask away!
Best Wishes,
Nick
P.S. Here's one of my favorite spoken-word poems. It's all about being transgender and using pronouns. It's titled "Hir".
What's your opinion on "they" as a gender-neutral singular pronoun? I'm curious to hear what your thoughts are.
ReplyDelete"They" is also a gender-neutral pronoun, although it tends to be used as a plural, not a singular. Since people use "they" as a plural pronoun, it could cause confusion. However, that confusion should be limited once the person states their preferred pronouns and it shouldn't stop people from using their preferred pronouns. You can use "they" in the forms of They/Them/Their/Theirs/Themselves.
DeleteI don't really get what you mean by gender fluid. It sounds like you're saying that sometimes you feel like a boy and sometimes like a girl, but that makes it seem there are set parameters for what boys should be like and for what girls should be like. I think gender is a spectrum. By your definition, everyone would be gender fluid. If everyone is gender fluid, then it's just a natural part of the human condition, and not something different or seen as "not normal" in our society. I don't identify much with my gender i think, mostly I identify as a person, who is also a girl. So I find it confusing to say that one is gender fluid, because it seems like what it is to be a boy and what it is to be a girl is being defined, which I think is impossible.
ReplyDeletePlease don't think I'm trying to be mean. This is a really interesting blog and I think part of your point as well is to encourage discussion. I am extremely open to any explanation you might have and really do want to learn. Sorry again if I come off as uninformed or insensitive.
I hope I answered your questions in my latest post. I totally agree with you when it comes to how fluid gender really is. Thank you for asking such interesting questions.
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