For what it's worth, I'm glad they/them is catching on and I use it all the time.
Growing up, though, I was taught to use "he or she" / "she or he" in English class and they/them was always used in the context of third person plural. I don't consider it a newfangled thing, but the embrace of it feels new.
"They" comes off impersonal though. As if you're using it because you don't know their gender. That's why I would much prefer a new word. Something that indicates that you know they are neither he nor she. (In a similar vein I'd also prefer a distinct singular "they" and plural "you")
I do know that realistically something like that would never catch on, but I can dream...
It certainly could; look how quickly the term "Ms." as an alternative to "Miss" or "Mrs." caught on. Though it has antecedents long before the 20th century, the term caught fire in the early 1970s with the first publication of "Ms." magazine and was in widespread usage within ten years.
I think the bigger problem is coming up with an accepted alternative; there are several floating around, none of which have had a Ms. magazine moment.
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For what it's worth, I'm glad they/them is catching on and I use it all the time.
Growing up, though, I was taught to use "he or she" / "she or he" in English class and they/them was always used in the context of third person plural. I don't consider it a newfangled thing, but the embrace of it feels new.
"They" comes off impersonal though. As if you're using it because you don't know their gender. That's why I would much prefer a new word. Something that indicates that you know they are neither he nor she. (In a similar vein I'd also prefer a distinct singular "they" and plural "you")
I do know that realistically something like that would never catch on, but I can dream...
It certainly could; look how quickly the term "Ms." as an alternative to "Miss" or "Mrs." caught on. Though it has antecedents long before the 20th century, the term caught fire in the early 1970s with the first publication of "Ms." magazine and was in widespread usage within ten years.
I think the bigger problem is coming up with an accepted alternative; there are several floating around, none of which have had a Ms. magazine moment.
I hadn't thought before of how recent Ms. is. You've given me some hope now. Not holding my breath but keeping my fingers crossed at the very least.