Gender Neutral Pronouns Spark Controversy: Are We Being Offensive By Trying To Be Inclusive?

The recent addition of gender neutral pronouns has resulted in support — and backlash. Where do you stand on the issue?

The use of pronouns has been a controversial issue for a long time. The New York Times a few years ago reported on an unnamed writer pushing for the addition of “Ms.” way back in 1901 as a way to pay homage to women without expressing views on a person’s domestic situation. Flash-forward to today and the push has moved from gender specific pronouns to gender neutral ones.

Last week, “Mx” (pronounced mix or mecks) was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary as a gender neutral pronoun. Some people, like trans performer and activist, Justin Vivian Bond, praised the decision. “It’s OFFICIAL!” Bond posted on Facebook. “Mx IS a word according to the just released list of new words from The Oxford English Dictionary. Yay!” Bond later added a bit of humor as well. “Btw. It was pointed out to me today that Scrabble Queens are thrilled with the word Mx cause it’s a very high scoring two letter word.”

Also last week, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at University of Tennessee posted a memo on their website asking staff to start using gender neutral pronouns, including this graphic:

The difference the Oxford English Dictionary and the University of Tennessee is that the university has a much longer list of acceptable pronouns: ze, xe, hir, zir, xem, hirs, zirs, and xyr. Many people think the university’s expansion is a sign that things have gone too far. Here are a few of the comments from LGBTQNation readers when the AP reported on the subject:

Of course things got worse when Donna Braquet, Director of the Pride Center at the University of Tennessee, posted how to use the correct pronoun if you are ever unsure of which one to use.

“If you cannot use the methods mentioned above, you can always politely ask. “Oh, nice to meet you, [insert name]. What pronouns should I use?” is a perfectly fine question to ask.”

In this day and age, it’s kind of surprising that this issue is still sparking controversy. Rather than create numerous words to avoid defining people by their gender, wouldn’t it make sense to move towards eliminating gender specific pronouns entirely? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments section below. 

 

Image: University of Tennessee, Office for Diversity and Inclusion