When you don’t know someone’s pronouns, you typically refer to them as ‘they/them.’
This is done as a gender-neutral option in lieu of using a gendered pronoun.
The use of they/them pronouns in the singular isn’t new.
Giuseppe Lombardo / Getty Images
According to the Oxford Dictionary, we have used they/them pronouns since 1375, if not before.
What Does It Mean When Someone’s Pronouns Are They/Them?
When someone uses they/them as their pronouns, it means that you should refer to them with those pronouns.
you might’t really assume anything else about the person’s gender, though.
That’s because there are many reasons why a person might be best suited with non-gendered pronouns.
For instance, they might benonbinary,gender expansive,transgender,bigender, orgender non-conforming.
They also may identify in a way that doesn’t fit any of those descriptions.
Why Are Pronouns Important?
Whether or notpronoun usefeels important to you personally, it is an important subject overall.
Who Would Use They/Them Pronouns?
One well-known example of this is the slogan, “Femmes can be thems.”
This means that even if a person looks feminine to you, they might use they/them pronouns.
Nonbinary people are the most well-known group likely to use they/them pronouns.
Additionally, they/them pronouns might be used by a person in transition.
This can occur when someone is going through the process of transition and does not yet feel settled.
What Are the 4 Gender Pronouns?
Pronouns can be either gendered or not gendered.
That’s why they/them is the go-to for referring to someone whose gender you are unaware of.
If that’s the case, you’ll be happy to learn it’s very straightforward.
If you want to know someone’s pronounsand if you want to avoid misgendering a personask them.
“What are your pronouns?”
or “What pronouns do you use?”
are both perfect questions to ask.
We don’t choose our identities, so it isn’t a matter of preference.
Specifically, no one decides to becisgenderor transgender any more than they choose their ethnicity or height.
It’s referred to as the A.C.M.
Method
If you have made a mistake about someone’s pronouns:
That’s it!
Nothing more is needed.
“What’s Your Pronoun?
There aremany resourcesavailable to helpLGBTQIA+ people, includingsupport groupsfor others like you.
, and n. In: OED Online[Internet].
Oxford University Press; [cited 2023 Feb 16].
2020;17(24):9525. doi:10.3390/ijerph17249525
