Pronouns and the majority of frequently used words in English generally contain gender identifiers. However, all of these pronouns are not binary. Some are even singular like for example – they. The singular pronoun 'they' is gender neutral and has been even extensively adopted by many famous American celebrities like Demi Lovato, Sam Smith over the years. People in America are now proudly mentioning their Linkedin profiles with pronouns like they/them, ze/zir and ze/hir. Language has played a significant part in the tiny yet significant progress the world has achieved towards inclusion.
Here is a detailed explanation of these pronouns that will help you to help you in making a decision of which pronoun you should use.
They/them
They/them is a gender neutral pronoun which can be used by individuals or groups who don't want to associate with a particular gender like male or female respectively. This is used extensively by those who are non-binary. In recent years, several celebrities like Jonathan Monae and singer Sam Smith have announced that they associate with the pronoun 'they'. In 2021, singer Demi Lovato declared her nonbinary identity in an Instagram post. Lovato then changed her pronoun to they or them.
Ze/zir or Ze/hir
Ze/zir or ze/hir are gender neutral pronouns which refer to individuals who don't identify with traditional binary gender categories. For Example-
I gave ze the book and Zir thanked me.
Ze said hirself that I'm hir favorite student.
These pronouns have been used by people who identify as non-binary or genderqueer. Ze/zir pronouns were originally used to give gender-neutral language for those who do not identify as either male or female in the 1970s. The pronouns were developed as an alternative to the conventional he/him and she/her gendered pronouns.
The pronouns Ze/zir are acceptable in the scholarly writings. However, it's crucial to ensure that audience and context are appropriate for the use of these gender-neutral language. It is best to confirm with the editor or professor whether the use of ze/zir is appropriate with/within the context.
Lastly, if you are specifically looking to get rid of gendered pronouns like he/him or she/her, you can use ze/zir or ze/hir as gender neurtal pronouns. They/them, however, refers to a person who self-identifies as non-binary irrespective of what gender the individual or group may belong, it can be used.
