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TIP: Don't assume pronouns (DBO)

by Kermit @, Raleigh, NC, Wednesday, July 23, 2014, 15:07 (3796 days ago) @ Cody Miller

Regarding he/him/his as the gender neutral terms suggests masculine pronouns are the default or standard and that should not be the case. I certainly don't appreciate it when people assume I'm a guy and use masculine pronouns when I join an online community where you can not display your gender in some way, and I know many ladies and queer or non-binary people don't appreciate it either.


It doesn't assume you are a guy. Technically, you are supposed to use "he" or "him" if the gender is unknown in the english language and you are referring to a singular person. It's not done out of insensitivity, just protocol. You can be unhappy about this, but that is what's proper linguistically.

You are correct, Cody, but most newer style guides at least mention that it is perceived by many readers as sexist and because of this suggest you rewrite the sentence to avoid the issue. It rarely comes up in my professional writing, and there are cases where I think it's a tough call. The awkwardness of writing around it is more disruptive than using the masculine pronoun, but then it's a case of pick your poison. Which readers are you willing to lose?


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