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SoapZone Community Message Board
Subject: | As *I* see it... |
From: | Justathot |
Date: | Wed, 30-Oct-2024 4:57:18 PM PDT |
Where: | SoapZone Community Message Board |
In topic: | ~*~*~WEEK OF OCTOBER 28 POTPOURRI~*~*~ posted by Wahoo |
In reply to: | But 'they' as a non-gender-specific pronoun is very old. posted by K_StillNotOver2016 |
If we don't know someone's gender, don't we routinely employ 'they?'
I do not. I'd probably add the extra syllables and say something like "That person over there," possibly with a descriptor like "in the blue jacket."
When I use the word "they" in a case like this, I know that the act of filling my prescription will go through many hands (more than one), so "they" is appropriate. "They" is a collective, more than singular, pronoun for peoples, especially people on a team, in an organization, getting stuff done. Otherwise, I could say that I won't accept a prescription unless she fills it or he does the final QC. Just give me my meds, and nobody gets hurt.
I would have repeated the specific title. "My teacher expects me, and all the other students, to read the syllabus before class." I spend a lot of time working on gender neutral names/titles. It might be from the luxury of having been in the military or working with the military. A captain is a captain, gender neutral. I explained that to a ROK lieutenant after I dragged him across a room by his lapel because two guys who worked for him referred to me as "Miss" while I was standing there in uniform. I didn't mind being called "Sir," which is what I was often called while in Korea; but, I often went by my job title or whatever gave me authority.
In work environments, I interact with you in a transactional manner. What service are you providing? There's usually a neutral name for that, like the "My teacher" case above. Outside of work/transactional relationship, there is
often a gender neutral term for the relationship. It's total strangers, especially when people are trying to sort people into individual sets, that becomes a problem.
"They" is a plural pronoun. I didn't like it when someone would look me, all by myself, dead in the eye and call me "y'all" when I was in Texas. I'd look over my shoulder to see if there was anyone else there. Does English need a gender neutral pronoun for people? The current one is for non-sentient beings. That's the problem.
"Sir" can be an acronym for "Senior in Responsibility," but it will need to be socialized and accepted in place of "ma'am." Like I said, I didn't mind being called "Sir." In some futuristic sci-fi movies, they call the person in charge "Sir," regardless of their gender.
Sounds like a "Hey, you!" moment.
Descriptors to put the person in a context? The person who sold me this crappy pair of shoes, my friend from my psychology class, a parishioner at my church, etc. to establish both relationship and context. Extra words, but no gender is involved.
Now that I'm no longer in the military, I often say, when people ask I know someone, especially when we were in the same organization, "We were stationed together." That provides context, but it doesn't denote a superior/subordinate relationship, or imply gender. It covers lots of bases while allowing for new contexts to be developed.
- LOL @ just give me my meds and nobody gets hurt. 😂 - AmberRedux - 31-Oct-2024 3:27 AM