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Neopronouns


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https://lgbtrc.usc.edu/trans/transgender/pronouns/

 

Hello everyone. 

I am currently writing the preface to a book with a profound message for trans folk. I am trying to use transgender pronouns for the main character. I do have a question, though, based on the above link. This link is for trans pronouns and I'm a little confused on "hir/zir" vs "hirs/zirs". To elaborate more, would an alternative to "her computer" (for an AFAB transgender person) be "zirs computer" or "zir computer"? I'm thinking it's "zirs computer" but I just want to be sure. Thank you in advance.

 

Godspeed

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So, hir/zir would be analogous to her; these are examples of a possessive determiner, which is a pronoun modifying a noun to show possession.  In contrast, hirs/zirs would be analogous to hers; these are examples of a possessive pronoun.
The difference:

"That is zir computer" vs. "The computer is zirs"

 

Also, these would more commonly be considered neopronouns rather than transgender pronouns

 

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On 5/1/2019 at 11:09 PM, The Angel of Eternity said:

I wonder, what's the difference between neopronouns and trans ones?

I don't really see the term "transgender pronouns" used?  Like....many trans people don't use neopronouns.  Neopronouns are basically any pronouns which haven't been regularly established in english, so not she, he, they, or it.  Also, what pronouns people use isn't necessarily tied to their gender? People can use whichever pronouns they prefer, regardless of their gender identity.  "neopronouns" is a term literally meaning "new pronouns", and while it's commonly used by nonbinary people, they're not named "nonbinary pronouns" because that would be unnecessarily restricting their use to specific gender identities.

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18 minutes ago, Magni said:

I don't really see the term "transgender pronouns" used?  Like....many trans people don't use neopronouns.  Neopronouns are basically any pronouns which haven't been regularly established in english, so not she, he, they, or it.  Also, what pronouns people use isn't necessarily tied to their gender? People can use whichever pronouns they prefer, regardless of their gender identity.  "neopronouns" is a term literally meaning "new pronouns", and while it's commonly used by nonbinary people, they're not named "nonbinary pronouns" because that would be unnecessarily restricting their use to specific gender identities.

Very fascinating! I genuinely appreciate the insight you took the time to give me. It helps a lot.

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  • 2 months later...

yep yep! What Magni said :)

Trans people can use any pronouns, she, he, they, ect. so none of them are inherently trans pronouns; in a similar way to how there are no aro pronouns, trans people do often consider our pronouns more than cis people which may be why there's a perceived link :)

Neopronouns is the term - any pronouns in english other than she, he, it or they. Neopronouns does mean new pronouns, though an interesting thing is that they've been around for a very long time! Example: thon/thonself pronouns, were coined in the 1800's! and were in the dictionary for around thirty years! ♥

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I use e/em/eir (borrowed from Orion's Arm) to refer to people of unknown sex or to someone who is neither male nor female, like a transgendered person who identifies as a woman but keeps eir cock. It has a real-life precedent: in Melanesian Pidgin "em" is the only third person pronoun and applies to everybody. And MP is a child of English, so to say.

 

I don't like "singular they", maybe we need to express gender more precisely but distinguishing between one person and more is also important. And I still use "generic he" in sentences like "the comedian should surprise his audience". I don't think that's sexist at all, it's simply a quirk of English grammar. Sometimes I'll use "generic she" as well :)

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8 minutes ago, Spacenik86 said:

refer to people of unknown sex or to someone who is neither male nor female,

The word to refer to people who's gender you know is they,
 

8 minutes ago, Spacenik86 said:

transgendered person

Just trans person, or transgender person, :) transgendered is like calling someone a talled person.

10 minutes ago, Spacenik86 said:

identifies as a woman but keeps eir cock

That's a woman, statistically; that person would use she/her pronouns. Her genitals dont affect which pronouns she uses.

Singular they exists, use it. It's been around for a very long time and is actually a neutral pronoun, calling people e/em when they havent told you those are their pronouns is misgendering. Calling trans women e/em when they havent told you those are their pronouns is misgendering. 

Use they/them for anyone who's pronouns you don't know, or just dont use pronouns.

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10 hours ago, Spacenik86 said:

I don't like "singular they", maybe we need to express gender more precisely but distinguishing between one person and more is also important. And I still use "generic he" in sentences like "the comedian should surprise his audience". I don't think that's sexist at all, it's simply a quirk of English grammar. Sometimes I'll use "generic she" as well

"They" is usually prefered when you don't know a person's pronouns

 

10 hours ago, Spacenik86 said:

I use e/em/eir (borrowed from Orion's Arm) to refer to people of unknown sex or to someone who is neither male nor female, like a transgendered person who identifies as a woman but keeps eir cock. It has a real-life precedent: in Melanesian Pidgin "em" is the only third person pronoun and applies to everybody. And MP is a child of English, so to say.

For trans women and their genitals…. they are still women and we should refer them with their prefered pronoun. And if you use something else, that's misgendering.

It was never about what they have in their pants.

 

And again, use "they" unless peoples tell you their pronouns and it's something else. 

 

…. sometime i don't think  you realize how lucky you are for having a "not too" gendered language (English. I am speaking about english speakers) . Everything is gendered with mine. Absolutely everything. And we didn't even have a neutral "they", we had to make one ourselves ! 

And peoples still complain about using "they"... 

 

(note, i am not trying to dismiss the pain of english trans peoples. )

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