Pros and cons of ‘they’ as a pronoun
Can we talk, please, about pronouns and their evolving usage in the English language?
With the Merriam-Webster dictionary having recently declared the personal pronoun “they” its word of the year, I wonder if those strict grammarians and contrarians who have argued against the use of “they” as a gender-neutral pronoun might now concede that the singular “they” has become a generally accepted and generally understood part of our language.
In September, Merriam-Webster expanded the dictionary definition of the word “they” to include reference to “a single person whose gender identity is nonbinary.” Then, in December, the Merriam-Webster lexicographers declared “they” their 2019 word of the year based on a 313 per cent increase over the year before in lookups of “they” at Merriam-Webster.com
In making their announcement, those language mavens acknowledged that “the shifting use of they has been the subject of increasing study and commentary in recent years.”
But, Merriam-Webster stated, more recently the use of “they” to refer to one person whose gender identity is non-binary — meaning not restricted to she or he — has become “increasingly common in published edited text, as well as social media and in daily personal interactions between English speakers.
“There's no doubt that its use is established in the English language …” the dictionary folks declared.
I expect it won’t surprise you that the usage of “they” as a singular pronoun is a matter the Star’s newsroom style committee and, indeed, journalism’s style authorities throughout North America, have grappled with in recent years.
On one hand are those who’ve argued that the new use of a pronoun that has traditionally been used to refer to more than one person in reference to a single person is confusing to readers — particularly in print. Some have pushed back against what they see as political correctness in such usage.
On the other hand are those who rightly point out that language has long evolved to meet societal realities and normalizing the inclusive “they” recognizes the reality of the need for a pronoun for people who don't identify as a he or a she.
Back in 2013, in what would seem to be the first time this question was addressed in the Star, Leslie Scrivener, then a Star feature writer, brought readers directly into the question in a feature story about Canadian singer-songwriter Rae Spoon who, “identifies not as a woman, not as a man, but somewhere in between.”
“Which introduces the problem of pronouns … Spoon, 32, likes to be referred to as ‘they,’ ” Scrivener wrote, going on to explain the new emerging questions about gender identity, pronoun usage and the fluidity of the English language
Other times following that, I recall the Star’s newsroom making efforts to avoid the use of “they” as a singular pronoun, advising writers to “write around” its use and simply refer to the individual by their last name to avoid having to use a pronoun at all. This could make for some awkward and clumsy sentence construction.
In recent years, however, whenever anyone has asked to be referred to as “they,” the Star has used this pronoun preference with a brief explanation to help readers understand its usage. That is aligned with the Star’s stylebook, which advises: “If such pronouns are used in copy, this should be explained to readers before the first instance, to avoid confusion.”
Using the singular they to refer to non-binary individuals is still not generally and widely recommended throughout the newsrooms of North America. The style books of both The Canadian Press and The Associated Press suggest using “they” as a singular pronoun “sparingly” (CP) and “acceptable in limited cases” (AP).
“Be careful — it can get confusing for a reader. Always explain the person’s preference in copy and make generous use of the person’s chosen name as an alternative in order to foster as much clarity as possible,” the CP stylebook states.
“Clarity is a top priority; gender-neutral use of a singular they is unfamiliar to many readers,” says the AP guide.
I understand and wholly support the need for clarity. Journalists should never confuse their readers. But journalists can also lead their readers and create understanding. Have we not now reached the point of generally understanding that pronoun preferences matter and “they” can refer to a non-binary individual?
Indeed, the dictionary tells us that is so. Kathy English is the Star's public editor and based in Toronto. Reach her by email at publiced@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @kathyenglish