Intro to They/Them Pronouns

​Gender Pronouns Aren’t “Preferred”

Gender pronouns aren’t “preferred” they’re a statement of fact.

Instead of asking, “What are your preferred pronouns?” you can simply ask:

•  “What pronouns do you use?”
•  “What pronouns should I use for you in this place?”
•  “My name is …., my pronouns are they/them.  What about you?”

We cannot automatically tell what someone’s gender is by looking at them or by their name.

Names and gender pronouns may change over time so we need to be adaptable and supportive of this process. 

It’s something that’s so simple, and yet so meaningful.

Deepen Understanding of Gender

As non-binary visibility continues to grow so must our understanding of gender identification.

They/them/theirs are neutral pronouns in the third person singular.

Singular ‘they’ has been around before the time of Shakespeare.

“They” and “them” were still being used by literary authors to describe people in the 17th Century too — including later by Jane Austin in her 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice.

The Oxford English Dictionary traces its singular use back to the 1300’s, only a century or two younger than ‘she.’

Examples:

I love Scott’s page, THEY are such an inspiration.

I think someone forgot THEIR glasses here.

When someone comes out as they, them and their, start using their pronouns immediately.

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