Talk:Lydia X. Z. Brown

Lydia X. Z. Brown?
Does anyone know if the subject of the article has been referred to as Lydia X.Z. Brown by any independent, third-party sources, or if this name appears only in sources affiliated with the subject? If the latter is true, then is it appropriate for a Wikipedia article to note that the subject is known by this name, or should this alternate name be removed until it is used by independent sources?

Andrea Parton (talk) 04:18, 26 March 2016 (UTC)


 * I just heard of this person and am curious what the X and Z stand for. Equinox ◑ 09:45, 2 September 2017 (UTC)

Gender pronouns
Lydia Brown self-identifies as genderqueer and non-binary. Per MOS:GENDERID, Brown should be described using gender-neutral pronouns and other gender-neutral language. Accordingly, I just re-reverted "she" to "Brown"; this does not seem to me to disrupt the flow of the article at all, and it is not appropriate to refer to Brown using feminine pronouns (in accordance with Brown's own identity and the aforementioned guideline). If anyone feels differently, please post your comments here.

Andrea Parton (talk) 18:07, 26 March 2016 (UTC)

I agree with what you say and it is important to use pronouns that correspond with the subject's preference. I have corrected the grammar with the use of 'they' as this is, in this instance, a singular pronoun and thus takes the singular form of 'to be' : "They is currently the chairperson of the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council." Overall, I agree that the use of 'Brown' instead of 'she' or 'they' does not disrupt the flow of the article as their name isn't used excessively. Boleslaw (talk) 16:24, 25 September 2021 (UTC)