How to Avoid Sexist Language: Pronouns

Gender-neutral pronouns help you avoid sexism in your writing.

Gender-neutral writing should be considered when writing for the public to avoid offending readers. Good gender-neutral writing communicates meaning without implying a specific, binary gender to the reading audience. Most studies on avoiding sexist language focus on male vs. female, but there is a movement to create non-binary pronouns as a more inclusive means of communication.

Things You'll Need

• Word-processing program

Instructions

1. Consider your audience. You will have male and female readers, and your writing must reflect this. Recast a sentence using "you," or "one," if possible. For example, instead of "When the nurse ends her shift," try using, "When you end your nursing shift." Be aware that "one" can seem impersonal and "you," can seem as if you're ordering your readers around if used too often.

2. Use plurals when it is appropriate. Instead of "A staff member must wash his hands," use "All staff members must wash their hands." Using they or them is inclusive of both male and female genders and retains the flow of the writing.

3. Use him/her or she/he sparingly. The use of double pronouns can interrupt the flow of your writing. Try using a neutral word instead. For example, instead of "She told the class to open their books," try using, "The teacher told the class to open their books."

4. Adapt sentences with a second-person pronoun. Instead of "An author chooses his words carefully," you can rework it to say, "We authors choose our words carefully." The use of we as a gender-neutral pronoun can lend a warmer feel and establish common ground with a reader.

5. Try using a gender-neutral pronoun, also called a Spivak pronoun, such as zie, zir, and zirs, or hir and hirs. This technique is not without controversy, because it is not widely used, but it supports a more holistic spectrum of genders. Persons of non-binary genders often appreciate the use of Spivak pronouns.

Tips & Warnings

• Choosing which gender-neutral pronoun will depend on your readership. For broad audiences, most people will be comfortable with you or they, because these words are the most common substitutions in everyday speech. If you know that you are writing to an audience that is progressive, such as a gender-studies class, using a Spivak pronoun might be a better choice.

References

• Roane State Community College Online Writing Lab:Avoiding Sexist Language
• Hamilton College Writing Center: Writing Resources: Avoiding Sexist Language
• Trans & Queer Wellness Initiative: GenderQueer and Queer Terms