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I'm making a considered choice to start using gender-neutral pronouns when appropriate. I have a chunk of writing to do about gender in the near future, but for now, I'm going to use he/she/zie and his/her/hir as appropriate.
I've been hesitant in the past because the words sound affected. Artificial. But I think the reason they feel that way is largely because they are not in common use. That's not going to change without people commonly using them.
Using male and female pronouns construct and reinforce social gender categories that reflect a false dichotomy, and I think it's important for me to recognize that publicly and keep it in mind (Yes, it's true; the Stormdog has discovered post-modern linguistic deconstruction. Be afraid? Honestly, I'm a little self-conscious about choosing to stand outside established norms regarding language use in this way, but who if not us?)
I've been hesitant in the past because the words sound affected. Artificial. But I think the reason they feel that way is largely because they are not in common use. That's not going to change without people commonly using them.
Using male and female pronouns construct and reinforce social gender categories that reflect a false dichotomy, and I think it's important for me to recognize that publicly and keep it in mind (Yes, it's true; the Stormdog has discovered post-modern linguistic deconstruction. Be afraid? Honestly, I'm a little self-conscious about choosing to stand outside established norms regarding language use in this way, but who if not us?)