Gender

Table of Contents

Pronouns

Melissa L.

Published on 2023.03.08

If you have ever experienced difficulties or confusion when referring to someone through their pronouns and struggled to identify the differences between all the pronouns, look no further! Whether you want to learn more about gender pronouns or just simply happened to come across this article in the hopes of grasping some interesting information, this article is perfect for you. We will be covering all the generally used pronouns and providing explanations for each of them. By the end of this article, we hope to have provided you with some valuable information that you will be able to use within your everyday surroundings.

Pronouns are words that are used to substitute for a noun. Gendered pronouns are words that refer specifically to a person. They are not only part of one’s gender expression but also a part of everyday respectful communications with one another. Learning about the different types of pronouns allows you to acknowledge the different gender identities of the people around you and help you eliminate disclusion for all individuals in your communities.

How To Ask Someone For Their Pronouns?

In order to ask for someone’s pronouns, you can ask: “What pronouns do you use?” or “Can you remind me what pronouns you use?” At first, this can feel awkward. However, it is always better to be sure rather than to make potentially harmful assumptions. It is crucial to normalize the act of asking for one’s pronouns as this provides more inclusive environments for everybody. Even so, it is important to note that if someone is not comfortable with sharing their pronouns in a group setting—which could be due to multiple reasons—you could refer to them using their name or ask in a private setting.

Many individuals may require periods of time to adapt to and fully remember the right pronouns to use, so it is totally okay to make mistakes. In order to respond to these mistakes, you can apologize and correct yourself as soon as you realize you have made a mistake. This could be through the words: “Sorry, I meant (pronoun).” Sometimes, you may be tempted to apologize for your mistakes continuously, yet this may cause discomfort and awkwardness for the person who was misgendered. For most circumstances, it is best to just apologize once and move on.

Commonly Used Pronouns

Starting off with some of the most commonly used pronouns. She/her/hers and he/him/his are widely regarded as some of the frequent pronouns that an individual may choose to be referred to as. Some may refer to these as “feminine” and “masculine” pronouns despite this not always being the case. It should be noted that an individual can use any combination of pronouns that they desire, thus the two combinations above are only two non-fixated examples.

The most common gender-neutral pronoun used would be they/them/theirs. If you encounter an individual that expresses this as their preferred pronoun, an example of the usage would be: “(Name) ate their food because they were hungry.” As exemplified, this pronoun can be used to refer to a singular person. When unsure of what to refer to someone as, this is a common choice for many English speakers. Even so, it is best to ask for one’s pronouns to ensure that they are comfortable with what you are referring to them as.

Per/per/pers and it/it/its are also gender-neutral pronouns that one can choose to use. Per/per/pers can be thought of as a shortened version of the word “person.” Examples of the usage can be: “(Name) ate per food because per was hungry.” It/it/its could be offensive for certain individuals, thus it is important that you are not misgendering someone when using these pronouns. An example would be “(Name) ate its food because it was hungry.”

Neopronouns

Neopronouns can be a new topic for many, perhaps due to the familiarity that communities have with them. In basic terms, neopronouns are words created to serve a pronoun without expressing gender. A relatively more common neopronoun combination would be ze/zir/zirs—pronounced “zee.” Neopronouns can also be “noun self pronouns,” where an existing word is drafted into use as a pronoun. These pronouns can refer to some of the following: animals—such as “kitten/kittenself,” fantasy characters—such as ”vamp/vampself,” or common slang—such as “innit/innitself,” Neopronouns are not very prevalent yet, but the amount of individuals identifying with neopronouns continues to grow. It is important to educate people around you about neopronouns and promote safe and caring environments.

Pronouns are a huge topic when it comes to LGBTQ+ communities. It is part of everyone’s daily lives as we refer to ourselves and others with pronouns. Whether it be a neopronoun or a gender-neutral pronoun, it is important to avoid misgendering, as this can cause harm for the individual. If ever, apologizing is always a must when learning of one’s mistakes. Hopefully, this article has provided you with some knowledge about pronouns and you are able to spread the word to educate those around you, promoting inclusive and caring communities.

Works Cited

Marcus, Ezra. “A Guide to Neopronouns.” The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/08/style/neopronouns-nonbinary-explainer.html.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “Gender Pronouns.” LGBTQ+ Resource Center, https://uwm.edu/lgbtrc/support/gender-pronouns/.

Transgender

Jessica L.

Published on 2023.04.02

The term, transgender, is used to describe someone who identifies as a gender that is different from what it was when someone is born. Someone’s birth gender is discovered by seeing their outer appearance which can differentiate between the two sexes. Sometimes, some individuals may feel differently about their gender spiritually. This change is usually between the two most common genders, male and female. An example of this is how a current transgender male used to be thought of as a female because it was the gender he was told he was at birth. However, since he now identifies as a male, he should be referred to by the pronouns that suit them the best.

It is important to know that being transgender doesn’t always mean changing your sex. Becoming transgender has something to do with changing your gender identity. Your gender identity defines how you feel about your gender internally. Doing this also affects your gender expression which is how someone may express themselves externally such as through clothes, voice, hair, etc. On the other hand, sex is something you are born with and cannot be changed unless you go through surgery. Nevertheless, it is something that does not define yourself or your gender identity.

When someone is transgender, they may experience gender dysphoria, a feeling a person may have about how their biological sex does not correspond to their gender identity. This feeling may cause a lot of stress and unease for the person because they don’t feel like their outer appearance matches their inner self ("Sex"). Symptoms of gender dysphoria may include how one starts disliking their own natural features including voice, body parts, and figure. Furthermore, one may also feel the urge to add body parts to display another sex or one may also want to remove some body parts because they don’t feel like the gender. Gender dysphoria can also cause depression, eating disorders, etc. Transgender individuals may also experience discrimination from others which may result in the person avoiding opening up to others which ultimately has the potential to further the severity of symptoms ("What").

Everyone figures out their gender identity at a different pace. Some figure out early on in their lives and some people decide to identify as another sex and gender when they are older. Knowing this, it is important to support those around you who decide on coming out. Identifying as a different gender can be difficult at times, therefore it is best to help your transgender peers adjust to their new gender.

Works Cited

“Sex and Gender Identity.” Planned Parenthood, Planned Parenthood, n.d., https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/gesadasnder-identity/sex-gender-identity.

“What Is Transgender?” WebMD, WebMD, 20 May 2021, https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/what-is-transgender.

Non-Binary

Melissa L.

Published on 2023.04.02

When talking about the various types of genders, the two most common—male and female—often come to mind. However, when one feels that they cannot be solely represented as either one of those two genders, they are then able to identify as non-binary. The term can represent a gender that is both masculine and feminine, somewhere in between or neither. In this article, we will be talking about what it means to identify as non-binary and how you should act in order to be respectful and inclusive toward these individuals.

Some people do not identify with any gender. Some people choose to change their gender through time. Non-binary individuals’ gender cannot be represented as male or female. Additionally, non-binary is not the only term used to describe an individual who is neither male nor female. Some examples of the other terms include genderqueer, genderfluid and agender ("Understanding"). These terms do not mean the same thing, so it is important not to use them interchangeably. While we will not be going over what all of those mean, you can always ask politely or keep an eye out for a future article talking about those genders.

Those who identify as non-binary often go by gender-neutral pronouns such as “they” and “them.”2 If at any time you are unsure of how to refer to someone, it is best to ask them rather than to make a potentially harmful assumption. Furthermore, many people suppose that non-binary and transgender go hand in hand, but this is usually not the case. While some transgender people identify as non-binary, a larger percentage identify as one of the two genders—male or female.3 Overall, it is crucial to ask when unsure, as this reduces discrimination and isolation of an individual.

All in all, non-binary people are a large part of the LGBTQ+ community and everyone needs to take action into promoting safe and caring environments for all individuals, no matter their gender. Reducing the amount of discrimination and harm towards someone due to the way they identify in terms of gender is a large step towards creating more free and loving environments for future generations. Ultimately, our hope is for you to have learned something from this article that you can use to educate yourself and those around you.

Works Cited

“Understanding Nonbinary People: How to Be Respectful and Supportive.” National Center for Transgender Equality, https://transequality.org/issues/resources/understanding-nonbinary-people-how-to-be-respectful-and-supportive.

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