A friend posted a silly meme about how using “correct” pronouns prevents suicide. One of her friends replied that, if you don’t know their pronouns, it’s OK to use “them/they”. I have no idea if this sentiment is common among the Pronoun Police, but I do know it’s not universal; I’ve read of resistance to a general “them/they” policy by people who changed their pronouns to opposite-sex and are dead set against people using anything else.
So, yes, even an attempt not to offend by using the “wrong” pronouns, which this appears to be, could be interpreted as “misgendering”.
Not that Jess DeWahls likely gives a crap. But funny that nobody in this whole gender debacle ever talks about “misgendering” someone who does not “identify” as trans or queer. Is it misgendering to refer to George Eliot or Robert Galbraith as “he”? Or “she”?
Good point takshak, you, youse, all interchangeable with y’all; thou, not so much. Nice how we each have the superpower to become many people through the magic of pronouns. I (oops, I mean we) could be an entire basketball team (still not a very good one though)…
@7 I have seen a few musician’s shows where they would play several different instruments, one after the other, some of them able to play every instrument on the stage. Now, through the magic of pronouns, them can play them’s instruments at the same time! Hell, some of they could even become an entire orchestra, all by theyselves. They/them is a limitless superpower, and so easy to obtain!
Note that Ed “misgenders” Jess DeWahls in his email.
I did note that and it pissed me off. Wtf?!
Maybe he didn’t want to say “by her” because of the reminder that she’s of that not-dominant sex.
Re #1
A friend posted a silly meme about how using “correct” pronouns prevents suicide. One of her friends replied that, if you don’t know their pronouns, it’s OK to use “them/they”. I have no idea if this sentiment is common among the Pronoun Police, but I do know it’s not universal; I’ve read of resistance to a general “them/they” policy by people who changed their pronouns to opposite-sex and are dead set against people using anything else.
So, yes, even an attempt not to offend by using the “wrong” pronouns, which this appears to be, could be interpreted as “misgendering”.
Not that Jess DeWahls likely gives a crap. But funny that nobody in this whole gender debacle ever talks about “misgendering” someone who does not “identify” as trans or queer. Is it misgendering to refer to George Eliot or Robert Galbraith as “he”? Or “she”?
re: them/they — so much for individualism. :P
twiliter – I hope you use “thou”, because “you” is plural. ;-)
it’s not the indefinite third person pronoun that’s the problem, it’s the waffleirons that think it’s the mostest important thing ever.
Good point takshak, you, youse, all interchangeable with y’all; thou, not so much. Nice how we each have the superpower to become many people through the magic of pronouns. I (oops, I mean we) could be an entire basketball team (still not a very good one though)…
I name my basketball team The Royal ‘We’s (is that a plural of a plural?). Although in my condition it should be called The Royal Wheeze.
@7 I have seen a few musician’s shows where they would play several different instruments, one after the other, some of them able to play every instrument on the stage. Now, through the magic of pronouns, them can play them’s instruments at the same time! Hell, some of they could even become an entire orchestra, all by theyselves. They/them is a limitless superpower, and so easy to obtain!
Also the ability to change sex and gender nowadays, how marvelous! All I have to do is think it, and it’s magically so, I don’t even have to shave! :P
(kids, please don’t try this at home, especially if you’re a quart low on gender fluid)
Gender fluid – is that like blinker fluid?