One, pronous are not letters, and letters are not pronouns. I’m not offending anyone’s gender by suggesting that using “þ” instead of “th” when trying to communicate in English on the internet in 2024 is counterproductive.
Two, gendered pronouns are some of the very oldest words in English, and they are used very regularly. They are engrained in native English speakers from birth. Each of us has a very long history of thinking in terms of these gendered pronouns, and I will grant that those who are younger have an easier time of making gender shifts with pronouns than those who are older.
There’s a reason people aren’t using xe/xey, for example. Somebody just made it up and said “use it.” Language doesn’t work by fiat (unless we’re talking about a colonizer eliminating indigenous languages by literal force). In terms of gender neutral pronouns, we already have the singular “they,” which has been in use to some degree since at least Early Modern English.
I can wholly respect and support someone’s gender and refuse to use nonsense words at the same time. Think about where gendered pronouns are used: when one person talks to a second person about a third person. If that third person is genderfluid in some way, I’m going to use “they” when referring to them (see what I did there?), because the second person is most likely to understand what I’m saying.
And before you get all fucking uppity again, I’ve had many lengthy conversations about this and so many other gender issues with my son, who is, among so many other things, trans.
One, pronous are not letters, and letters are not pronouns. I’m not offending anyone’s gender by suggesting that using “þ” instead of “th” when trying to communicate in English on the internet in 2024 is counterproductive.
Two, gendered pronouns are some of the very oldest words in English, and they are used very regularly. They are engrained in native English speakers from birth. Each of us has a very long history of thinking in terms of these gendered pronouns, and I will grant that those who are younger have an easier time of making gender shifts with pronouns than those who are older.
There’s a reason people aren’t using xe/xey, for example. Somebody just made it up and said “use it.” Language doesn’t work by fiat (unless we’re talking about a colonizer eliminating indigenous languages by literal force). In terms of gender neutral pronouns, we already have the singular “they,” which has been in use to some degree since at least Early Modern English.
I can wholly respect and support someone’s gender and refuse to use nonsense words at the same time. Think about where gendered pronouns are used: when one person talks to a second person about a third person. If that third person is genderfluid in some way, I’m going to use “they” when referring to them (see what I did there?), because the second person is most likely to understand what I’m saying.
And before you get all fucking uppity again, I’ve had many lengthy conversations about this and so many other gender issues with my son, who is, among so many other things, trans.