Not a clue (gender confusion)

Catballou said:
That's rather intolerant, don't you think? If someone prefers to use the indentifier "they/them," why should that bother you?
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I don't know the person you were quoting, but will speak for myself:

There are people who are native-English speakers, and are not ok with the inability to communicate in normal English because it's no longer considered acceptable and must be replaced by this: https://stayhipp.com/glossary/ze-zir-zem-pronouns/
 
JaniceM said:
I don't know the person you were quoting, but will speak for myself:

There are people who are native-English speakers, and are not ok with the inability to communicate in normal English because it's no longer considered acceptable and must be replaced by this: https://stayhipp.com/glossary/ze-zir-zem-pronouns/
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But, as the article says, all you have to do is ask the person what pronoun they prefer. It's not rocket science.
 
Sawfish said:
Will you also say "uncle", if requested?
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Funnily enough I could probably remember Toothbrush. But for example , if I was looking a a female, it was really hard for me to remember to refer as - they or them. If I used their name (let's say Susan) that was fine. But sometimes, I would say, "Oh, she's in the photocopy room " instead of "they are in the photocopy room." Remember this person is identifying as neither male or female.
 
JaniceM said:
My viewpoint:
Everybody deserves respect.
If a person needs help, find help for the person.
However, I also believe all of this has gone way too far in terms of trying to pull nearly the entire population into it, and especially little kids. I mean the toys a child likes to play with, etc., has nothing to do with 'gender.' I think the stereotypical 'gender roles' has a lot to do with this problem. and I personally have always thought stereotypical gender roles to be stupid and pointless.
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My daughter described it to me this way...

There's such a thing that young adolescents do that they call "cosplay"--costume play. It's a sort of retreat into childhood. They dress up a certain way and act according the stereotypes associated with the chosen costume.

The old Goth thing was like this, but for older young adults.

She tells me that she views gender fluidity as something like cosplay for the people who do it, whether they admit this to themselves or not.

Honestly, I try to be accommodating, but when you begin to ask, or even sulkily demand, that I become involved in your fantasy to the point that I have to abandon established linguistic rules on your say-so--and this could change on-the-fly, you understand, could be "they/them" and the next time you meet them it's "gho/ghostself" (yes, there is such a thing)--that's farther than I'm willing to go.

Nope. A Bridge Too Far...
 
hearlady said:
I don't like the idea of changing pronouns in language but I doubt Judith had anything to do about it.
In fact she probably just wanted to be Judith.
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You're right, at work, whether we wanted to or not, we had to identify with gender appropriate pronouns. On our badge, in emails, etc. It certainly wasn't my idea.
 
Happy Retiree said:
Funnily enough I could probably remember Toothbrush. But for example , if I was looking a a female, it was really hard for me to remember to refer as - they or them. If I used their name (let's say Susan) that was fine. But sometimes, I would say, "Oh, she's in the photocopy room " instead of "they are in the photocopy room." Remember this person is identifying as neither male or female.
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About six months ago I read an actual newstory in which there was on the one hand a person who used "they/them", and this person was in a dispute with two others. The reporter, being sympathetic to this person--or maybe constrained by the newspaper's editorial policy, used "they" and "them" when referring to the single person, and when referring to he two others acting in concert as, rightly, "they" and "them".

The story had stuff in it like:

Jake Adams, who prefers they/them as pronouns, alleges that they were approached by two homeless individuals in front of a brew pub on Division Street. Adams says that they accosted them (Adams), and they was threatened in an intimidating manner. They were identified by Adams, and they were subsequently found to be carrying knives.​
​
Adams stated that they were worried for their life, and thanked the two policemen men who responded, and said they acted appropriately.​
​
The two homeless said they merely asked for spare change.​
​
For those of you who remember Jack Parr, "I kid you not...". It's a deranged version of "Who's on first?", but it's no joke.

Do you *really* think we need this is our lives and it will make things better? Me, I doubt it.
 
Sawfish said:
About six months ago I read an actual newstory in which there was on the one hand a person who used "they/them", and this person was in a dispute with two others. The reporter, being sympathetic to this person--or maybe constrained by the newspaper's editorial policy, used "they" and "them" when referring to the single person, and when referring to he two others acting in concert as, rightly, "they" and "them".

The story had stuff in it like:

Jake Adams, who prefers they/them as pronouns, alleges that they were approached by two homeless individuals in front of a brew pub on Division Street. Adams says that they accosted them (Adams), and they was threatened in an intimidating manner. They were identified by Adams, and they were subsequently found to be carrying knives.​
​
Adams stated that they were worried for their life, and thanked the two policemen men who responded, and said they acted appropriately.​
​
The two homeless said they merely asked for spare change.​
​
For those of you who remember Jack Parr, "I kid you not...". It's a deranged version of "Who's on first?", but it's no joke.

Do you *really* think we need this is our lives and it will make things better? Me, I doubt it.
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Exactly. And then another person at our college ( a faculty member) correctly called someone as "they" and some of her fellow faculty members and admin thought she made a grammatical mistake. Using "they" plural for a singular person. This was in a meeting that we were all at. I mean seriously, it's getting ridiculous all these pronouns.
 
JaniceM said:
I don't know the person you were quoting, but will speak for myself:

There are people who are native-English speakers, and are not ok with the inability to communicate in normal English because it's no longer considered acceptable and must be replaced by this: https://stayhipp.com/glossary/ze-zir-zem-pronouns/
Click to expand...
The tip of the iceberg, I'm afraid. There is "gho"/"ghost" and things like this are limited only be the fertile imagination of young adults who want to be viewed as "special".

The body of neoprouns (yes, they are called this--and I've having to pinch myself to prove that I'm not dreaming I'm having this conversation) grows like bread mold.
 
Catballou said:
But, as the article says, all you have to do is ask the person what pronoun they prefer. It's not rocket science.
Click to expand...

Sawfish said:
My daughter described it to me this way...

There's such a thing that young adolescents do that they call "cosplay"--costume play. It's a sort of retreat into childhood. They dress up a certain way and act according the stereotypes associated with the chosen costume.

The old Goth thing was like this, but for older young adults.

She tells me that she views gender fluidity as something like cosplay for the people who do it, whether they admit this to themselves or not.

Honestly, I try to be accommodating, but when you begin to ask, or even sulkily demand, that I become involved in your fantasy to the point that I have to abandon established linguistic rules on your say-so--and this could change on-the-fly, you understand, could be "they/them" and the next time you meet them it's "gho/ghostself" (yes, there is such a thing)--that's farther than I'm willing to go.

Nope. A Bridge Too Far...
Click to expand...
Well, if you want my viewpoint on the subject in general, I believe there are many people who are legitimately confused and need help.. but in most cases your daughter's assessment is correct.
 
Happy Retiree said:
And then another person at our college ( a faculty member) correctly called someone as "they" and some of her fellow faculty members and admin thought she made a grammatical mistake. Using "they" plural for a singular person. This was in a meeting that we were all at. I mean seriously, it's getting ridiculous all these pronouns.
Click to expand...
Well, 'they' could work.....if 'they' were possessed
 
Sawfish said:
The tip of the iceberg, I'm afraid. There is "gho"/"ghost" and things like this are limited only be the fertile imagination of young adults who want to be viewed as "special".

The body of neoprouns (yes, they are called this--and I've having to pinch myself to prove that I'm not dreaming I'm having this conversation) grows like bread mold.
Click to expand...
Gotta say, that's a new one to me.
 
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