The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has created a guide for students and faculty to help them use the appropriate pronouns when referring to other students and professors, according to Campus Reform.
A chart on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center’s (LGBTRC) website lists twelve appropriate pronouns to use, including fae, ae, e, ey, per, ve, xe, ze, and zie, in addition to the traditional he, she, and they. The chart also lists the plural, possessive, and reflexive variations of each pronoun.
However, the chart is “not an exhaustive list” of all preferred pronouns, according to the website. The website emphasizes that some students prefer using their name as a pronoun, while others use the plural “they” to refer to themselves singularly. The LGBTRC says that using the correct personal gender pronoun, or PGP, is an important part of respecting others’ gender identities.
“It is a privilege to not have to worry about which pronoun someone is going to use for you. If you have this privilege, yet fail to respect someone else’s gender identity, it is not only disrespectful and hurtful, but also oppressive,” the website says.
The LGBTRC also offers suggestions for students who make a mistake when referring to someone with the wrong gender pronoun. If a student accidentally uses the wrong PGP for another student, the student should apologize in private and “move on” from the situation. The center notes that apologizing profusely for a mistake is “inappropriate” and can cause the mis-gendered person to feel uncomfortable. The center says is it the student’s responsibility “to remember people’s PGPs.”
The center warns against calling a person “it” or “he-she” when personal gender pronouns are unclear, as these terms are “offensive slurs used against trans and gender non-conforming individuals.”
Additionally, the LGBTRC notes that the English language does not use a gender-neutral or third-gender pronoun and says that this “shortcoming” in the English language causes a “source of frustration” within the LGBT community.
