I used to think it was funny that some people might feel as though they were neither male nor female — until I met someone in that category. There’s nothing like firsthand experience to help one overcome one’s biases. But then there’s also the fact that I spent 10 years as a newspaper copy editor, which means that I’d rather eat worms than use “they” as a singular pronoun. Well, until we have an acceptable non-gender pronoun in English (“it” just won’t do for a person), I guess I can look forward to more invertebrates in my diet. That’s my conclusion after heading this article from Hopes&Fears.

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A majority of languages around the world have no gender distinctions in pronouns. So why is using “they” as a singular pronoun considered so politically and grammatically unconventional?

Source: They’re here, get used to them: why gender-neutral pronouns are not “radical” — Hopes&Fears — flow “Life”

Copyright 2015 © Mel Harkrader Pine