{"id":19197,"date":"2019-04-18T15:55:42","date_gmt":"2019-04-18T19:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agis.interligne.co\/?p=19197"},"modified":"2019-04-29T17:50:28","modified_gmt":"2019-04-29T21:50:28","slug":"19197","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agis.interligne.co\/en\/19197\/","title":{"rendered":"Pronouns : how to use them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being a non-binary person means to identify neither exclusively a man nor exclusively a woman. There are multiple possibilities: some people are outside the man-woman continuum (it can be a third or fourth gender, for example), other people are a mix of man and woman, some are agender (they don\u2019t feel like they adhere to the gender system<\/span>), and some are gender fluid, meaning their gender can change from time to time.<\/span><\/p>\n

You have to know that this list is not exhaustive. <\/span>For many people, gender is creative, so it\u2019s up to you to decide how you express it!<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though English is not considered a gendered language (objects aren\u2019t inherently feminine or masculine<\/span>), it still heavily designates people based on gender.<\/span> So, what can we do about that, and how do we adress people that don’t feel like a he or like a she?<\/span><\/p>\n

First, some people prefer to use singular \u2018they\u2019. It\u2019s probably the most popular option among non-binary folks.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can also use neologisms, that’s why they exist! Neo-what? Neologisms! These are new words created to <\/span>better<\/span> reflect some realities, <\/span>to<\/span> put emphasis on something, etc.  If you want to know more about them, visit <\/a><\/span>the<\/span> vappingo website<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, some non-binary people prefer to use pronouns derived from neologisms. Some of them are Ze\/hir\/hirs ; Ze\/zir\/zirs ; Xe\/Xem\/xyr ; Co\/cos ; Hy\/hym\/hys ; Ey\/em\/eirs. <\/span>Others prefer that you use their name instead of any pronoun. Your pronoun choice belongs to you, n<\/strong><\/span>o one should invalidate it!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Finally, it\u2019s always better to stay neutral when you talk to a group of people, or even to a person that you don’t know (to avoid assuming what their gender is). So, instead of saying \u00ab ladies and gentlemen \u00bb, you can say something like: \u00ab folks \u00bb, \u00ab friends <\/span>\u00bb or the informal \u00ab y\u2019all \u00bb. It’s called Gender-Neutral language, and it’s what we use here at Interligne, in order to be inclusive of every single person, no matter what their gender identity is.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a> What you must keep in mind is that there <\/span><\/span>are no right or wrong answers, but it is essential to respect each person\u2019s choice<\/span><\/span>. To make this happen, <\/span><\/span>it is necessary to use strategies to avoid assuming people’s pronouns and genders<\/span><\/span>. You can write your pronoun(s) in your email signature, or ask people\u2019s <\/span><\/span>preferred<\/span><\/span> pronouns… and apologize when you get it wrong!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For more information <\/b><\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n