Have Your Say: “What do you know about gender-neutral pronouns and would you use them if you met someone who uses them?”

Illustration by Quip Johnson

By Quip Johnson

He/Him

Stefano Freccero
business

 

“I know lately it’s been a very hot topic. English isn’t my first language and in Italian I don’t know what the equal to gender-neutral would be. But I really think that if it makes the people who use them comfortable, then they deserve for us to make a little effort for them to feel that way.”

SHE/HER

Terra Robertson
business major

“They’re what you should default to if you don’t know what pronouns someone uses. You should just default to them automatically. I always try my best to use the correct pronouns. Also, if I don’t know which ones they use, I tend to just use their first name to refer to them instead of a specifically gendered term. Everyone feels best when they’re addressed with their appropriate pronouns, so it’s no different for someone who is gender-neutral versus a male or female. It’s not that difficult. It’s really too simple to not do it.”

HE/HIM

Wren Yee
political science major

“I know they are used to refer to someone who is non-binary or identifies as agender, instead of he or she, which tend to be associated with the genders of male and female respectively. I also know in German people use the pronoun ‘sie’ which means just ‘you’ instead of being gendered. And yeah, it’s up to that person as to what they want to be called and whatever they say- that’s how you refer to them.”

He/Him

Dallas Kingsbury
finance major

“I work in the Mission with a lot of people who are in all different parts of the LGBT community. I think it’s a personal choice if you want to use them if you want to use them for yourself. I had a roommate who told me, ‘Gender’s not what’s down there; it’s what’s in your head.’ As a straight, white male I really try to respect that so people don’t think I’m the stereotype of an intolerant person. I just tend to use ‘you guys’ a lot, because it feels pretty gender-neutral. You’d have to be pretty close-minded to not respect pronouns.”

She/Her

Paola Brigneti
no major; taking classes for fun

“I’ve actually never heard of different pronouns before. It’s kind of like with babies I guess. You don’t assume what its gender is; you ask the parent. So I mean, this is the first I’ve ever heard of it, but I think it seems pretty easy to just ask and be open to learning.”

Illustration by Quip Johnson
Illustration by Quip Johnson