User:Taylorstevens12/Preferred gender pronoun

Preferred gender pronouns or personal gender pronouns (often abbreviated as PGP, see cautions and terminology on the use of the world "preferred" ) refer to the set of pronouns (in English, third-person pronouns) that an individual prefers that others use in order to reflect that person's gender identity. In English, when declaring one's preferred pronouns, a person will often state the subject, object, and possessive pronouns—for example, "she, her, hers", "he, him, his", or "they, them, theirs"—although sometimes, only the subject and object pronouns are stated ("he, him", "she, her", "they, them"). The pronouns preferred may include non-traditional ones such as "ze" and "zir" ( these terms are neologisms), or include more than one set of pronouns such as "he and they". The usage of personal pronouns has been discussed in length, and many questions have risen out of discussion in regards to whether or not using such neologisms are a better solution to pronoun neutrality than using "they, them, theirs" in times of uncertainty. Other new terms have been introduced outside the United States such as the gender-neutral term "hen" has been introduced recently in Sweden in 2015.

Rationale
PGPs have come into use as a basic and necessary way of promoting equity, inclusion, and showing respect   for transgender and genderqueer people. The use of such has been identified by social workers, educators, and medical professionals as both a practical and ethical consideration. Style guides and associations of journalists and health professionals advise use of the pronoun preferred ( the individual's pronoun ) or considered appropriate by the person in question. When dealing with clients or patients, health practitioners are advised to take note of the pronouns used by the individuals themselves, which may involve using different pronouns at different times. This is also extended to the name preferred ( the individual's name) by the person concerned. LGBTQ advocacy groups also advise using the pronouns and names "preferred" or considered appropriate by the person concerned. They further recommend avoiding gender confusion by using a title or rank to avoid a gendered pronoun or name, when referring to the background of transgender people. Many arguments have since been made that proper usage is not only about equity and inclusion. Improper usage, when not by mistake followed by movement towards correction, is a microaggression, and shows a lack of respect for the misgendered individuals. Further, misuse of pronouns can prohibit individuals who are not cisgender from receiving healthcare  resources which can contribute to a broad range of health issues. Aside from these more serious issues, misgendering by misuse of proper gender pronouns refuses an individual their autonomy, denies identity, and weakens a person's social intelligibility. Further, this can lead to gender erasure such as in medical paperwork or verbal denial.

Cautions
The dean of women at Pomona College, Rachel N. Levin, advised against professors asking students to reveal their PGPs during class introductions, since this could upset those whom the PGP use is supposed to support. The two examples Levin gives include one student who has to confront not passing (in other words, that their gender presentation is not clear to people around them), and another student who does not know which pronouns to request others to use. The British LGBT charity Stonewall also advises caution on the grounds that for a variety of reasons some cisgender and transgender people may not feel comfortable with the practice; they say it should be encouraged but not mandated in email signatures and at meetings. Another caution in regards to use of neologisms such as "ze, zir, zem" is that terms such as these can often exoticize the person in consideration as opposed to its intended purpose, so it always best to ask individuals in question which pronouns they use/"prefer".

Terminology
There exists some disagreement on whether or not to refer to PGPs as "preferred". Some people omit the word "preferred", calling them "gender pronouns" or simply "pronouns" to emphasize that correct use of pronouns is a social obligation rather than an individual preference. They fear that including "preferred" in the name may cause some people to think that using an individual's PGPs is optional. Levin states that "pronouns aren’t "preferred" but simply correct or incorrect for someone’s identity." Those who retain "preferred" point to a parallel with "preferred names" or as a way of affirming the individual's agency or right to choose their own pronouns. Further, pronouns are not arbitrarily selected.

There has been discussion on the use of the pronouns "they, them, theirs", as a default before an individual's preferences are stated. Those against have suggested that these pronouns are not singular and that it is grammatically incorrect. There is a middle ground concern that these pronouns may only be for non-binary persons. However, looking at the english language, these pronouns do not always, if rarely in use, refer to genderqueer individuals. Therefore, those in favor have suggested that "they, them, theirs" could start being used in a singular manner just as "you" replaced "thou" as singular, and is no longer seen as plural in day to day use.