Gender pronouns - using them or not?

Hi David,

Thank you so much - reading this gave me the best night's sleep I've had for ages... ;)

Perhaps it's time we had a specific gender-neutral word? Say 'Hin', which could mean either/any gender, then Him/Her/etc could be specifically for that particular gender - eg: 'Hin can arrive at 3' or 'She can arrive at 2'. It could also be used in titles, eg: 'Policehin' is a member of the police force, whereas 'Policeman' is a male member.

I know we can use 'person', but it can be a bit of a mouthful.

just seen this, which chimed somewhat with this thread - loudly enough not to induce somnolence, anyhow.
members.prospect.org.uk/.../Why-we-should-all-start-using-pronouns

I explicitly wrote all our new policies to be gender neutral. Employee/They/Them etc.

If I see him/her in text it makes me flinch - I'd actually rather the legal practice of using him and assuming it to mean both a male or female than spell both out.

One debate I did have when drafting was the correct gender-neutral terminology for "His Excellency, the Governor". It tends to get shortened to HE, The Governor to gender-neutralise it, but I do wonder if "Their Excellency" would be better. There never has been a female Governor here yet, but that's not to say it won't happen.

Or, indeed, a gender-fluid one, or just someone who prefers not to be identified by a gender-specific pronoun regardless of their personal gender identification.

Perhaps "Just Call Me" Harry is leading the way towards a general abolition of these faux-medieval honorifics.

Hi Lesley
Pedantic old me would say about 'His Excellency' etc that if you're referring to the actual office-holder, who happens to be male, then it's merely a factual descriptor.
But if you're referring to the office of governor generally, then 'His Excellency' would be wrong and something like 'His / Her' or 'Their' far better. (in fact, speculating much further, the latter would even accommodate a gender-fluid or gender-unspecific guv'nor!
It's a bit like recording formal meetings, where 'Chairman' to me is okay if the actual person chairing the meeting were in fact male but arguably not if not the case, when 'Chair' far better (many would say always far better....)

Interesting thought, something similar to the one for titles already in use - Mx instead of the standard Mr, Mrs, Ms or Miss options.

I see that so much. I am now referred to as Mr by quite a few organisations now, because i am Miss, but the only choice of title I am increasingly given are Mr, Ms or Mx. As i am none of those, i just chose the first one which invariably is Mr

I am married but I use Miss. I admit it confuses people, especially if I am meeting someone in person and they can see I wear a wedding ring. I think that nowadays we can please ourselves.

I agree, the option for Mrs seems to be disappearing fast as well which would be my personal choice. The other option that is disappearing fast is husband / wife in favour of “partner”.