This is a book on Xenogenders, a debate on them and why they are: Transphobic, Ableist, and shouldn't exist.
this'll include non-trad neopronouns (traditional being xe/xem ze/zir)
-temporary cover-
Beyond 'he' and 'she': The rise of non-binary pronouns
By Avinash Chak BBC News
Published7 December 2015
Share
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
In the English language, the word "he" is used to refer to males and "she" to refer to females. But some people identify as neither gender, or both - which is why an increasing number of US universities are making it easier for people to choose to be referred to by other pronouns.
Kit Wilson's introduction when meeting other people is: "Hi, I'm Kit. I use they/them pronouns." That means that when people refer to Kit in conversation, the first-year student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee would prefer them to use "they" rather than "she" or "he".
As a child, Wilson never felt entirely female or entirely male. They figured they were a "tomboy" until the age of 16, but later began to identify as "genderqueer".
"Neither end of the [male/female] spectrum is a suitable way of expressing the gender I am," Wilson says. "Sometimes I feel 'feminine' and 'masculine' at the same time, and other times I reject the two terms entirely."
Earlier this year, Wilson asked friends to call them "Kit," instead of the name they (Wilson) had grown up with, and to use the pronoun "they" when talking about them.
Glossary
Transgender: Applies to a person whose gender is different from their "assigned" sex at birth
Cisgender: Applies to someone whose gender matches their "assigned" sex at birth (ie someone who is not transgender)
Non-binary: Applies to a person who does not identify as "male" or "female"
Genderqueer: Similar to "non-binary" - some people regard "queer" as offensive, others embrace it
Genderfluid: Applies to a person whose gender identity changes over time
See also: A guide to transgender terms
Sharing one's pronouns and asking for others' pronouns when making introductions is a growing trend in US colleges.
For example, when new students attended orientation sessions at American University in Washington DC a few months ago, they were asked to introduce themselves with their name, hometown, and preferred gender pronoun (sometimes abbreviated to PGP).
"We ask everyone at orientation to state their pronouns," says Sara Bendoraitis, of the university's Center for Diversity and Inclusion, "so that we are learning more about each other rather than assuming."
A handful of universities go further and allow students to register their preferred pronouns in the university computer systems - and also a preferred name.
