Well goodness gracious me!!! Are we back to this issue?? I thought we had debated this to death in the 70s and come up with MS as a way to indicate marital status was of no consequence for a particular female in a professional rather than a private situation.
I used it quite a bit AND didn’t change my name the last time I was married, so I am not opposed to new ideas.
However, we should have seen by now that this will not work, as no one will be able to remember the strangulated terms that are proposed. I recently read an editorial in the Washington Times wherein
the writer was proposing the following: “Whomever lost THAIR text book, THAY can claim it at the lost and found when THAY’RE available.”
It is completely unnecessary to use these made up pronouns to avoid gender. Here is an example:
“Whomever lost A text book may claim it at the lost and found when convenient.” See??? All correct understandable English, no new jargon and completely gender neutral!!!!
Here is a challenge for you, every time you see a sentence than just reeks gender and will be offensive to our gender sensitive friends, try rewriting it using plain English and avoiding personal pronouns. It is not hard, and will certainly expand one’s vocabulary and way of thinking.
I suspect we have some college professors out there who might like to be the creator of an entirely new “language”, but I assure you it is completely unnecessary.
Just read this and you will find nothing to offend and except the for deliberate use of MS. it is completely “gender identity free”.
linesfromlinden 