Male, female, feline … Bristol University guide lectures staff about emoji pronouns and ‘catgender’ awareness
‘It covers individuals who do not fit within the Western human binary of gender alignments’
LECTURERS at a leading university are being given guidance on “emoji pronouns” and awareness of “catgender”, where someone identifies as a feline.
The University of Bristol has provided staff with materials on “using pronouns at work”, urging them to declare in verbal introductions and email signatures whether they use he/him, she/her or they/them, to support transgender and non-binary students.
But unlike myriad pronoun manuals on other campuses, Bristol lecturers are also directed to “emojiself pronouns”, where colourful digital icons – used on social media – are used to represent gender in written and spoken conversation.
It comes as the Russell Group university begins a court battle tomorrow with a feminist PhD student, Raquel Rosario Sanchez, who is suing for sex discrimination after an alleged two-year campaign of bullying by transgender activists on campus. She fears women’s rights at Bristol are being undermined by policies “promoting niche gender theories as an institutional dogma”.
Bristol’s guide explains that some people use “neopronouns such as Ze/ Zir/Zirs”. This directs to a webpage by LGBTA Wiki, which says these are used by those who feel that their gender is beyond the male or female binary, and lists “emoji pronouns” as an example.
The website states: “Emojiself pronouns are a subcategory of nounself pronouns, which are pronouns that, instead of using letters, utilise emojis. These pronouns are not intended to be pronounced out loud and are only intended for online communication. In spoken conversation one may or may not use pronouns based on the emoji.”
Another section explains how noun-self pronouns are used by “xenic” individuals whose gender does not fit within “the Western human binary of gender alignments”. It adds: “For example, someone who is catgender may use nya/nyan pronouns.” It says a catgender person is someone who “strongly identifies” with cats and “may experience delusions relating to being a cat or other feline”. Nyan is Japanese for “meow”.
Bristol’s guide urges lecturers to be “proactive” by stating their pronouns at the start of conversations to create a normal culture on campus that avoids needing to ask one’s pronouns or making assumptions based on appearance.
But Debbie Hayton, a transgender woman and activist, said it risks trivialising trans-inclusion efforts. “It brings the whole concept of being a transsexual and transitioning in society into disrepute,” she said. “We didn’t ask for this.”
The University of Bristol said: “The correct use of pronouns is important to some members of our university community. The information on our website is designed to help people understand the different variations and nuances that this covers. Using pronouns on email signatures or as part of meeting introductions is not a mandatory requirement.”