Gender neutral pronouns: What are preferred pronouns?

🏳‍🌈Preferred pronouns are exactly what they sound like. They’re the 

pronoun that someone would prefer to be addressed by, and some people may wish to choose a gender neutral pronoun.

Gone are the days when people’s pronouns were determined by their sex. Nowadays, each individual can choose their preferred pronoun, and it’s not limited to just “he” and “she.”  People can choose gender neutral pronouns too.



In this article, we discuss definitions, examples of pronouns, and workplaces/universities that are giving staff/students a platform to choose their identity.

Definition of preferred pronouns

A pronoun is a word that is used to refer to something or someone. In the English language, according to the dictionary, “he” should be used for males, “she” for females, and “they” for a group of people or if you’re unaware of someone’s gender.

For example, if your friend says they went out with a colleague, and they didn’t specify their gender, you may respond with, “What’s their name?” (Also, you’ll notice that we referred to your hypothetical friend as “they” because their gender was, indeed, unspecified.)

Ze and Hir and are popular gender neutral pronouns

However, moving away from the dictionary’s definition, people are becoming more tolerant and understanding of how people identify. A preferred pronoun is when someone chooses to be addressed by any of those mentioned pronouns (and more) regardless of the individual’s sex or gender.

An individual can pick and choose how they wish others to address them, and the point of a preferred pronoun is that each person has a choice of their identity.

Examples of gender pronouns:

• He/him/his
• She/her/hers

Define gender neutral pronouns

Gender neutral pronouns are ways to address someone (or something) without linking it to their gender.

Examples of gender neutral pronouns

• It/it/its
• They/them/theirs
• Ze/zie/hir/hirs
• Ve/ver/vis
• Xe/xem/xyr

While cisgender people (those whose gender matches their sex) will likely keep their original pronouns, transgender people often have their preferred pronoun changed between “he” or “she.”

Non-binary people, on the other hand, don’t identify as a male or female and they’ll often choose gender neutral terms such as those mentioned above. The most popular gender neutral pronouns are currently “they/them” and “ze/hir.”

They are most commonly used among non-binary, trans and gender fluid people.

And gender fluid people may change their gender and pronoun through time, picking various preferred pronouns.

Who uses preferred pronouns?

Anyone who doesn’t wish to be referred to as their ‘dictionary pronoun’ may choose to use a preferred pronoun.

They are most commonly used among non-binary, trans and gender fluid people.

Companies and organisations using preferred pronouns

Around the world, companies and organisations are waking up to the sensitivity surrounding an individual’s pronoun and are therefore embracing the changes that have come into play in the last few decades.

For this reason, workplaces are asking their employees what their preferred pronoun is.

PinkNews

Of course, PinkNews embraces diversity and equality so we give staff a platform to let people know their gender identity.

If you’ve ever emailed us, you may have noticed that each PinkNews employee has their preferred pronouns in their email signature.

Lambda Legal

Similarly, Lambda Legal, a non-profit LGBT organisation, gives staff the option to “designate pronouns to avoid misgendering and to give visibility to the idea that all gender identities are valid and deserving of respect.”

JustGiving

The trusted online fundraiser JustGiving is another organisation that believes in preferred pronouns.