By Rachel Guise, PPS Editor
What is gender neutrality?
Gender neutrality is the belief that language and other social foundations should avoid categorization according to a person’s gender or sex. This includes suggesting that certain societal roles belong to either a male or female.
Before gender neutrality was defined, writers and editors made attempts to be inclusive with the use of “he/she” and “his/her.” That was a temporary fix. Today, however, there are more than two genders. aPath.org provides a list of 63 genders and a key to understanding each gender.
Gender neutrality and pronouns
According to the Human Rights Campaign, a pronoun is used when talking about an individual in the first person (“I”), second person (“you”), or third person (“he,” “she,” “they”). Historically, third-person pronouns are gendered.
Pronouns are important because their use is how individuals assert their identity. Using the correct pronoun is not only a sign of respect when writing about a person, but also shows you put a lot of care into your publication and how it would be received by all individuals.
The Human Rights Campaign shares a chart that provides examples of how to use common pronouns. The BBC shows a card created by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee LGBT Resource Center that on one side lists eight pronouns in categories 1 through 5. The other side is a how-to guide for using the pronouns, placing those categories 1 through 5 in the blanks the pronouns belong.
Gender neutrality and nouns
You’ve seen words such as policeman, Congressman, and stewardess. But women are being elected into government positions and serving on police forces, and men are treating patients as nurses.
The Writing Center provides a Click for chart of common gendered nouns and gender-neutral nouns. Examples include using “first-year student” rather than “freshman” and “mail carrier” rather than “mailman.” Think outside the box when using nouns that are typically aimed at one gender.
How do I write with gender neutrality in mind?
A basic rule of writing is to know your audience. But what if you don’t know your audience? Write for everyone and anyone. Gender-specific pronouns such as “he” or “she” are not exclusively identified within today’s society.
When in doubt, use “they” to replace “he” or “she” and “their” to replace “his” or “hers.” There are also countless resources that explain gender neutral pronouns individuals now identify with, such as “ze.”
Another option is to use gender neutral nouns. For example, “The doctor checked my blood pressure” is more inclusive than “She checked my blood pressure.”
Don’t be afraid to ask. If your writing includes interviews, quotes, or information about a person, don’t be afraid to ask that individual which pronouns are preferred.
If after writing you’re concerned you may have missed non-inclusive terminology, use the find feature (CTRL + F) to search for any words you wish to correct.
The future of gender neutrality
As Mackenzie Kassab of the Harvard Extension School writes, old habits die hard. Many individuals in previous generations fight the movements to make our country gender inclusive. You may encounter backlash from colleagues or readers. Kassab implores us to ignore criticism.