Hi, all. First time in this forum. Here's my question, then a bit about me. What word choices do you make to include/acknowledge people who identify as genderfluid, genderqueer, or otherwise do not identify solely as female or male?
For context, I'm a middle-aged cis woman. As a young person, I studied women's studies (that's what it was called then). At the same time, I was raised by editors who instilled appreciation for precise, brief language; that meant specifying singular vs. plural in pronouns and possessives and saying "women" and/or "men" rather than "people." But that leaves people out.
In casual writing, I will use "they/them" as ungendered singular pronouns. Lately, though I'm writing poetry, and word choices are weighing on me. The rhythm of a line or the balance of a whole piece is affected by each syllable added or removed.
-As writers, what language related to gender/nonbinary do you use?
-I would especially appreciate your thoughts on poetry.
PS to MacAllister: I searched for an existing thread. Closest I found was http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?289203-gender-neutral-pronouns-s-he-(s)he-they-one. That thread, while useful, stops in 2014, and this area of language has been changing quickly. Please move/close this thread if appropriate, though.
For context, I'm a middle-aged cis woman. As a young person, I studied women's studies (that's what it was called then). At the same time, I was raised by editors who instilled appreciation for precise, brief language; that meant specifying singular vs. plural in pronouns and possessives and saying "women" and/or "men" rather than "people." But that leaves people out.
In casual writing, I will use "they/them" as ungendered singular pronouns. Lately, though I'm writing poetry, and word choices are weighing on me. The rhythm of a line or the balance of a whole piece is affected by each syllable added or removed.
-As writers, what language related to gender/nonbinary do you use?
-I would especially appreciate your thoughts on poetry.
PS to MacAllister: I searched for an existing thread. Closest I found was http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?289203-gender-neutral-pronouns-s-he-(s)he-they-one. That thread, while useful, stops in 2014, and this area of language has been changing quickly. Please move/close this thread if appropriate, though.