Gender-neutral pronouns are those that don't specify male or female, with the most common being they/them/theirs, used for individuals who are nonbinary, genderfluid, agender, or when someone's gender is unknown; other options include neopronouns like xe/xem, ze/hir, or ey/em, and some people opt to use only their name, all serving to affirm diverse gender identities or provide inclusive language.
She/her/hers (for someone who might identify as female) They/them/their (for someone who might not identify as male or female, these pronouns are 'gender neutral'; they are also used when referring to multiple people).
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ze/zir pronouns are neopronouns — aka new pronouns — that people of any gender can use in order to express their identities and be referred to with affirming and validating language.
Some non-binary individuals opt for neopronouns such as xe, ze, sie, co, and ey. Others may use traditional gender-specific pronouns such as "he" or "she", switch between them, or prefer to use their name without pronouns.
Nonbinary Defined
Some people's gender changes over time. People whose gender is not male or female use many different terms to describe themselves, with nonbinary being one of the most common (sometimes spelled with a hyphen, as “non-binary”). Other terms include genderqueer, agender, bigender, genderfluid, and more.
Freedom of conscience and individual autonomy mean freedom to refuse to say anything that runs counter to our values and beliefs, no matter how badly those in power want us to express views and ideas they support. The refusal to use an individual's stated pronouns may cause offense or discomfort.
You can use this pronoun as a neutral identifier if you are unsure what pronoun someone uses. ➢ Ze, hir (Chris ate hir food because ze was hungry.) Ze is pronounced like "zee" can also be spelled zie or xe, and replaces she/he/they.
Unpacking the Acronym
The GSCC primarily uses the acronym “LGBTQIA2S+.” This acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and trans, queer and questioning, intersex, asexual or agender, and two-spirit. This plus-sign signifies additional identity terms.
A gender-inclusive pronoun (or set of pronouns) some people use for themselves. One of many pronouns that people may use instead of pronouns such as “he,” “she,” or “they.” See “neopronouns.”
Asking and correctly using someone's pronoun is one of the most basic ways to show your respect for their gender identity. When someone is referred to with the wrong pronoun, it can make them feel disrespected, invalidated, dismissed, alienated, or dysphoric (or, often, all of the above.)
Ze, hir, xe, and the singular they are gender-neutral pronouns, used just like you would use any other in a sentence.
Nonbinary pronouns in Norwegian
This usually means han/(ham) (he/him) for men and hun/henne (she/her) for women. The most common pronouns for nonbinary people in Norway today are hen and de/dem, but there are also other pronouns in use, and some people feel comfortable with several pronouns (e.g. han/hen, hen/de).
A person may refrain from using pronouns for many reasons. There may not be a set of pronouns that feels right for that individual. The person might be figuring out what pronouns to use in the future and may not want to use any in the meantime.
Besides she/her/hers and he/him/his, another common set of pronouns is they/them/theirs. These pronouns are widely considered to be gender-neutral, and are often used by people who do not identify as male or female.
Pronoun examples: I, me, we, they, you, he, she, it, yours, himself, ourselves, its, my, that, this, those, us, who, whom… There are many more examples of pronouns, and you might think of them as pointing towards possession.
Ze/hir/hirs, ze/zir/zirs
The ze/hir, ze/zir pronoun sets come from the trans community as another gender-neutral pronoun set. It's up to each individual to decide which pronoun best fits them and their identities. Ze is typically pronounced like the letter Z.
Pronounced 'zhee' or like 'j'y' in French, xhe is the pronoun for the possible, the queer or the multiple, a figure that moves between a Square and an Octopus.
LGBTQ community has introduced 73rd gender to the world named as 'Sigma Males'
As an employer, you cannot force an employee to use someone's new pronouns. However, you can expect them not to use the old pronouns. Some employers encourage their staff to share their pronouns. For example, in their email signature.
Remember that it's not necessary for people to state their pronouns in order to facilitate polite and respectful interaction, in the workplace or anywhere else. The simplest thing to do is to politely decline. Refrain from putting pronouns in your biography or your email signature and don't announce them at meetings.
Default to gender-neutral terms if you are unsure of an individual's gender.