# data[].attributes.body
The Gender Spectrum article explains what LGBTQ, cis-gender, & biological sex mean

# data[].attributes.body
Is October! Other ways to be inclusive: address groups in gender neutral ways, point students towards GSAs

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/opinion/gender-pronouns-they.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/09/opinion/letters/gender-neutral-pronouns.html

These are two links from the New York Times that talk about Grammar Pronouns and how the language of Grammar is evolving. I found these resources to be great insight into the current climate of how Pronouns are changing throughout society.

I did general research on the SAT exam as well and more and more schools are not looking at the SAT as part of their admissions process. So the issue of Pronoun/Antecedent agreement is not as pressing.

I instead want to focus on helping my students feel safe and secure in my classroom and not worry so much about grammar nuances. I can still teach the curriculum I need to but as long as I have that safe, secure environment with strong classroom rapport, I don’t think an issue will arise with this. It has not yet in the two years I’ve been teaching and I may be overthinking the matter.

# data[].attributes.headline
Tom, Maureen, Josh                              

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Tom, Maureen, Josh                              

# data[].attributes.body
Summary of Shedding Light.... article LGBTQ students at risk for bullying, sadness, thoughts of suicide poor learning performance. Students need support and to feel safe, when they do the risk fade. Teachers, administration need to create environments and model safe and acceptance behaviors, not just with voice, but also visible signs such as, posters, signs. We need to reinforce ,"No one should be limited by our gender or sexual orientation.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a great topic for professional development!

# data[].attributes.body
Something to consider for October!

# data[].attributes.headline
Tom, Josh, Maureen - I Can't Teach in Florida

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Tom, Josh, Maureen - I Can't Teach in Florida

# data[].attributes.body
This article (although infuriating for the one who had to read it and present it to the group, sorry Tom) was very interesting and really helped us to see what NOT to do to try and create a school environment of understanding and acceptance for those students who are LGBTQIA+. The law implimented in Florida ultimately prevents any discussion of sexual orientation or identity in school that the parents/guardians of students would disapprove of, essentially making it seem like LGBTQIA+ students are less than the others in the classroom and openning the door for further bullying and fear for the LGBTQIA+ students.

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Katelyn, Wendy, Morgan: Florida Don't Say Gay Law 

# data[].attributes.subject
Katelyn, Wendy, Morgan: Florida Don't Say Gay Law 

# data[].attributes.body
We talked about how important teacher and student connection is, and without being able to talk about our personal lives to students, we are not able to build that connection. A female teacher did leave the profession in Florida, due to the new law. Who is to say that just because you are different, something is wrong with you?

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/opinion/gender-pronouns-they.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/09/opinion/letters/gender-neutral-pronouns.html

These are two links from the New York Times that talk about Grammar Pronouns and how the language of Grammar is evolving. I found these resources to be great insight into the current climate of how Pronouns are changing throughout society.

I did general research on the SAT exam as well and more and more schools are not looking at the SAT as part of their admissions process. So the issue of Pronoun/Antecedent agreement is not as pressing.

I instead want to focus on helping my students feel safe and secure in my classroom and not worry so much about grammar nuances. I can still teach the curriculum I need to but as long as I have that safe, secure environment with strong classroom rapport, I don’t think an issue will arise with this. It has not yet in the two years I’ve been teaching and I may be overthinking the matter.

# data[].attributes.body
Teacher - student relationship in jeopardy

# data[].attributes.body
- Lavender Scare "history repeating itself" connection to Florida Law
- Taken back by such a law actually being put into place
- Ways that we can move forward, Internal, Instructional, Institutional, Interpersonal bullet points within the WESTED resource
- Instead of helping students, we are actually hurting them. They cannot confide in their teachers any longer.
- People are sue happy.

# data[].attributes.body
We would like to learn more about:
-Clear path to resources
-Clear policies or paths to policies
-Steps to build or restructure our current handbooks, anti bullying policies, etc.
-Ways to educate students about this topic

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Additional Thoughts: Katlyn, Wendy, Morgan

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Additional Thoughts: Katlyn, Wendy, Morgan

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When researching and discussing the Parental Rights in Education Bill regarding the Florida situation, a new question popped up, "What about teachers who identify as part of the LGBTQ + community, and students who have 2 moms, does this bill prohibit that conversation and discussion? In the beginning of the year when getting to know teachers and students, doesn't that increase a larger disconnect between the teacher and student relationships???"

# data[].attributes.body
-Research/Sources are not all up to date
-Gender Spectrum website has training for teachers (sensitivity training)
-Things get challenging when you have to get policy changes approved by districts or dioceses
-Everything is labeled boy/girl
-One visitor, substitute teacher, etc. can come in and not know the student and assume they are boy/girl.  We cannot label the student gender fluid without literally labeling them.
-How much is policy and how much is practice?  Are people adhering to it in practice?  This has become a legislative and political issue.  How proactive are the unions and teacher groups being about this issue/discussion?  What are unions doing to be proactive vs. reactive?  Trainings? Educating teachers?
-Everything is labeled boy/girl
-One visitor, substitute teacher, etc. can come in and not know the student and assume they are boy/girl.  We cannot label the student gender fluid without literally labeling them.
-Teachers know who to call when students  are discussing suicide, rape, etc.  Who do you call for issues with LGBTQ?  Where are the clear resources.

# data[].attributes.headline
Dani I ("I cannot teach in Florida" article)

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Dani I ("I cannot teach in Florida" article)

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The title of this article captured my attention. After reading, I discovered it was primarily about the "don't say gay" law (HB 1557). The law bans “instruction” about sexual orientation or gender identity “in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law recently. The article discussed a story about a teacher who mentioned he was getting married and referenced his partner as his husband. When parents heard about this, they said it was inappropriate and tried to get him in trouble. This law is discouraging and is harmful to many educators and students and prevents people from being who they are. There are numerous issues surrounding this law, and the article briefly discusses a few. I think this law is absurd- and although students under grade three probably do not know much about sexual identity and orientation, many of them probably have relatives/parents who are in the LGBTQ+ community and it would be beneficial to be able to have a variety of diverse people be represented in stories for example, in the classroom (just to bring up one example)

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We want to dive into the GSLEN website and the resources available there. There are lesson plans, classroom kits, etc. We also would like to utilize the policy documents for schools. It would be a great tool for schools/districts trying to write and implement new supportive policies.

# data[].attributes.body
The research/reading solidified and supported our opinions. We were surprised about the amount of resources that Pennsylvania provides. We made a connection between the fact we knew nothing about the teacher resources and the idea that schools can provide resources for LGBTQ students, but if they are not advertised it shows that it should remain a secret. "Don't ask, don't tell"

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I had not considered just how important it is to make sure schools are safe and welcoming spaces for LGBTQ faculty and staff as well. Teachers can face some of the same discrimination as students. I recall a teacher in my middle school named Mr. Rheude who the students all rumored to be gay. He never discussed his personal life in class or anything, but many of the students would call him "Fruity Rheude" behind his back.

Laws like the “don’t say gay” bill make LGBTQ teachers need to hide portions of themselves in a way that their straight colleagues do not. LGBTQ students already feel underrepresented in most contexts, but teachers not being comfortable to be themselves fully hurts this even more, especially in the case of the teachers in the NBC article who have been pushed to the point of exiting the profession.

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Some readers find the new usage of "they" confusing and offer other options such as "que" and "s/he."

Credit... Michael Morris

To the Editor:
Re " In Praise of New Pronouns," by John McWhorter (Opinion, Sept. 24):

Mr. McWhorter is certainly correct that language is constantly evolving and none of us can fix it in place. But in his several examples, he demonstrates that language evolves to become clearer and more precise, not to confuse and obscure.

The problem with using "they" to refer to a single person is that it makes the sentence incomprehensible. Each time it pops up I find myself backtracking to find out who these other people are in the sentence. Inserting unclarity into writing for political purposes is not watching a language evolve naturally; it is sacrificing communication to someone's worldview.

Sheryl Reich
New York
To the Editor:
When I saw this article, I tensed up, ready for a fight. My sibling and I are both transgender. Then I kept reading. John McWhorter's article felt like home. I wanted to grab my sibling and all of the wonderful queer people I love and say, Maybe we are OK. Maybe we can be OK.

We went through years of school being taught that queerness does not belong in public education. I have never read anything like Mr. McWhorter's article. The idea that conversations around pronouns can be more than whether or not gender-neutral pronouns are legitimate feels thrilling. Thank you, Mr. McWhorter. Thank you so much.

Adam Denenfeld Kelly
Northampton, Mass.
The writer is 14 years old.
To the Editor:
John McWhorter assures us we'll easily get used to the singular "they." Curiously, he doesn't mention its actual linguistic downside. It's not that it breaks rules; it's that it often reduces clarity.

Anyway, platitudes about natural language drift won't sway doubters any more than now-ubiquitous jibes at the "grammar police" will, because the issue is not really grammar. It's gender. The "pronoun-hesitant" fear not a drift but a movement. They're implicitly being asked to kick their habit of seeing people, including themselves, as fundamentally male or female, and they're aware that this has larger cultural and political implications.

Rather than dismissing their uneasiness, over language or gender, let's admit that it's hard to change how we talk. We should do it anyway. We've jumped through hoops for the gender police for millennia. We can jump through a few more when some pathbreaking soul asks us to see them simply as themselves.

Chris Nelson
Ann Arbor, Mich.
The writer is a freelance copy editor.
To the Editor:
John McWhorter, as authoritative a language maven as one could find, is perplexingly deferential to the brand-new "they," despite the fact that the word combines open misappropriation, guaranteed confusion and sufficient braking power to stop thought and speech in their tracks. His citation of historical precedents for shifts in meaning and lexical innovations may be relevant to a defense of the new usage, but it hardly provides decisive grounds for acquittal. "They" for "s/he," to put it plainly, is a linguistic calamity.

This judgment is in no way a denial of the need for a "nonbinary" pronoun. English as we know it is patently ill prepared for a third or fourth gender, and those who find themselves disregarded by the standard breakdown are fully entitled to suitable remedies. But why have they not built new pronouns from scratch? They are, after all, a population for whom creativity has been a governing way of life.

The most natural coinages would be those that form a set with "she" and "he" such as "que" ("kwee"), "re" and "xe." Could anything be closer to the heart of the L.G.B.T.Q. community than the first of those? And this is just a starter in the brainstorming exercise. The nonbinary community may pick it up from here.

Simon Marcus
Oakland, Calif.
To the Editor:
I agree with John McWhorter that languages are "meant to evolve"; indeed, that is one of the sources of their endless fascination. But the introduction of "they" and "them" to replace gender-specific pronouns in English is both clumsy and unnecessarily disruptive. It also reveals a lack of imagination.

The replacement of Miss and Mrs. by Ms., which Mr. McWhorter notes, was elegant and efficient; using "they" and "them" as both singular and plural is simply obfuscatory. Verb-subject agreement is not a form of gender entrapment - it's a thing of beauty. Let us hope that those who wish to neutralize gender will come up with something that simultaneously enriches our language.

Sonya Michel
Silver Spring, Md.
The writer is professor emerita of history, American studies and women's studies at the University of Maryland, College Park.
To the Editor:
To John McWhorter's call for acceptance of evolving, gender-neutral language, I offer these neologisms: s/he (she-he), which works in print but pronounced "shy," herm (her-him), and herm's (possessive). They are not a great departure from what is.

Richard Rosenthal
New York
To the Editor:
Kudos to John McWhorter, whose cogent "lesson" on linguistic evolution, while condensed, is accessible and clear.

Even the most socially liberal can find it exhausting to keep abreast of changing standards in appropriate and/or acceptable words and behaviors. Mr. McWhorter's explanation of the singular use of "they," which at first blush seems incomprehensible, provides welcome relief for those who, as he concedes, are weary.

As one who tries to remain open-minded in the face of often befuddling changes in popular thought, I'm glad to be reminded that sometimes merely adjusting one's perspective can make all the difference.

Cathy N. Goldstein
New York
To the Editor:
I'm someone who often uses "they" as a singular pronoun out of respect for those who prefer it, but, admittedly, I struggle with it. An important component of language is its precision. If we're really going to celebrate changes in language, as the writer advocates, why not do away with all pronouns that specify our gender and opt for those that clarify our number?

I love the Swedish introduction of the gender-neutral "hen" and would embrace a new English language gender-neutral pronoun, in both its singular and plural forms.

Terry Kleinberg
New York
To the Editor:
Thanks to Prof. John McWhorter for reminding us that life goes on as the English language evolves to reflect changes in social perspectives. But as I read his essay, I kept waiting for him to suggest what seems to me the obvious compromise in the standoff between those who want gender neutrality in pronouns (replacing "they" for "he" or "she") and us English majors (and other self-appointed Keepers of Proper Grammar) who wish to preserve singular/plural distinctions so as to avoid confusion. (For example, if it's "their" dessert, do they automatically get two pieces?)

Why not use the perfectly good, time-tested pronoun one to describe individuals in a nonbinary way? The British do it all the time.

With this simple solution, he or she can have one's cake and we can all eat it together.

Susan R. Friedes
Mamaroneck, N.Y.
To the Editor:
Yes, language is meant to evolve. On the matter of personal pronouns, best to let it evolve naturally rather than forcing the change with conscious effort based on an idea. As Prof. John McWhorter correctly states, "It isn't whether but how things will change over time." Let language follow its own course. Don't force it.

Gunther Theurer
New York
To the Editor:
It would seem that the advocates of "they" in the singular are unconsciously channeling Walt Whitman, who said, "I am large, I contain multitudes."

S.T. Joshi
Seattle

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Opinion | Gender-Neutral Pronouns: The Singular 'They' and Alternatives

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Some readers find the new usage of "they" confusing and offer other options such as "que" and "s/he." To the Editor: Re " In Praise of New Pronouns," by John McWhorter (Opinion, Sept. 24): Mr. McWhorter is certainly correct that language is constantly evolving and none of us can fix it in place.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/opinion/gender-pronouns-they.html

There are two separate links here that address my inquiry question regarding Grammar and the evolution of the English Language to fit with the times. The first link shows letters to the editor about the issue. The second link that I've copied and pasted in the body of this post above shows the original article "Gender Pronouns are Changing, It's Exhilarating" by John McWhorter.  These articles discuss different options that are emerging in the English language and the reaction to these different options that the transgender community has as well as society as a whole.

Overall, the tone of these articles is hopeful for transgender communities and it seems like we are on the path to acceptance and not just that but reassurance (one of our buzz List words). I too am hopeful that the SAT Pronoun/Antecedent agreement will evolve with the times. Other research about the SAT Exam in general is that the practice is fading. Less and less colleges require it and if they do, it is only a small facet of the admission requirements and will not "make or break" a student.

Based on this, I think it is more important to focus on the student and make them feel comfortable in my classroom. I need to support them in as many ways as possible and not worry about the smaller grammar nuances.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Some readers find the new usage of "they" confusing and offer other options such as "que" and "s/he."

Credit... Michael Morris

To the Editor:
Re " In Praise of New Pronouns," by John McWhorter (Opinion, Sept. 24):

Mr. McWhorter is certainly correct that language is constantly evolving and none of us can fix it in place. But in his several examples, he demonstrates that language evolves to become clearer and more precise, not to confuse and obscure.

The problem with using "they" to refer to a single person is that it makes the sentence incomprehensible. Each time it pops up I find myself backtracking to find out who these other people are in the sentence. Inserting unclarity into writing for political purposes is not watching a language evolve naturally; it is sacrificing communication to someone's worldview.

Sheryl Reich
New York
To the Editor:
When I saw this article, I tensed up, ready for a fight. My sibling and I are both transgender. Then I kept reading. John McWhorter's article felt like home. I wanted to grab my sibling and all of the wonderful queer people I love and say, Maybe we are OK. Maybe we can be OK.

We went through years of school being taught that queerness does not belong in public education. I have never read anything like Mr. McWhorter's article. The idea that conversations around pronouns can be more than whether or not gender-neutral pronouns are legitimate feels thrilling. Thank you, Mr. McWhorter. Thank you so much.

Adam Denenfeld Kelly
Northampton, Mass.
The writer is 14 years old.
To the Editor:
John McWhorter assures us we'll easily get used to the singular "they." Curiously, he doesn't mention its actual linguistic downside. It's not that it breaks rules; it's that it often reduces clarity.

Anyway, platitudes about natural language drift won't sway doubters any more than now-ubiquitous jibes at the "grammar police" will, because the issue is not really grammar. It's gender. The "pronoun-hesitant" fear not a drift but a movement. They're implicitly being asked to kick their habit of seeing people, including themselves, as fundamentally male or female, and they're aware that this has larger cultural and political implications.

Rather than dismissing their uneasiness, over language or gender, let's admit that it's hard to change how we talk. We should do it anyway. We've jumped through hoops for the gender police for millennia. We can jump through a few more when some pathbreaking soul asks us to see them simply as themselves.

Chris Nelson
Ann Arbor, Mich.
The writer is a freelance copy editor.
To the Editor:
John McWhorter, as authoritative a language maven as one could find, is perplexingly deferential to the brand-new "they," despite the fact that the word combines open misappropriation, guaranteed confusion and sufficient braking power to stop thought and speech in their tracks. His citation of historical precedents for shifts in meaning and lexical innovations may be relevant to a defense of the new usage, but it hardly provides decisive grounds for acquittal. "They" for "s/he," to put it plainly, is a linguistic calamity.

This judgment is in no way a denial of the need for a "nonbinary" pronoun. English as we know it is patently ill prepared for a third or fourth gender, and those who find themselves disregarded by the standard breakdown are fully entitled to suitable remedies. But why have they not built new pronouns from scratch? They are, after all, a population for whom creativity has been a governing way of life.

The most natural coinages would be those that form a set with "she" and "he" such as "que" ("kwee"), "re" and "xe." Could anything be closer to the heart of the L.G.B.T.Q. community than the first of those? And this is just a starter in the brainstorming exercise. The nonbinary community may pick it up from here.

Simon Marcus
Oakland, Calif.
To the Editor:
I agree with John McWhorter that languages are "meant to evolve"; indeed, that is one of the sources of their endless fascination. But the introduction of "they" and "them" to replace gender-specific pronouns in English is both clumsy and unnecessarily disruptive. It also reveals a lack of imagination.

The replacement of Miss and Mrs. by Ms., which Mr. McWhorter notes, was elegant and efficient; using "they" and "them" as both singular and plural is simply obfuscatory. Verb-subject agreement is not a form of gender entrapment - it's a thing of beauty. Let us hope that those who wish to neutralize gender will come up with something that simultaneously enriches our language.

Sonya Michel
Silver Spring, Md.
The writer is professor emerita of history, American studies and women's studies at the University of Maryland, College Park.
To the Editor:
To John McWhorter's call for acceptance of evolving, gender-neutral language, I offer these neologisms: s/he (she-he), which works in print but pronounced "shy," herm (her-him), and herm's (possessive). They are not a great departure from what is.

Richard Rosenthal
New York
To the Editor:
Kudos to John McWhorter, whose cogent "lesson" on linguistic evolution, while condensed, is accessible and clear.

Even the most socially liberal can find it exhausting to keep abreast of changing standards in appropriate and/or acceptable words and behaviors. Mr. McWhorter's explanation of the singular use of "they," which at first blush seems incomprehensible, provides welcome relief for those who, as he concedes, are weary.

As one who tries to remain open-minded in the face of often befuddling changes in popular thought, I'm glad to be reminded that sometimes merely adjusting one's perspective can make all the difference.

Cathy N. Goldstein
New York
To the Editor:
I'm someone who often uses "they" as a singular pronoun out of respect for those who prefer it, but, admittedly, I struggle with it. An important component of language is its precision. If we're really going to celebrate changes in language, as the writer advocates, why not do away with all pronouns that specify our gender and opt for those that clarify our number?

I love the Swedish introduction of the gender-neutral "hen" and would embrace a new English language gender-neutral pronoun, in both its singular and plural forms.

Terry Kleinberg
New York
To the Editor:
Thanks to Prof. John McWhorter for reminding us that life goes on as the English language evolves to reflect changes in social perspectives. But as I read his essay, I kept waiting for him to suggest what seems to me the obvious compromise in the standoff between those who want gender neutrality in pronouns (replacing "they" for "he" or "she") and us English majors (and other self-appointed Keepers of Proper Grammar) who wish to preserve singular/plural distinctions so as to avoid confusion. (For example, if it's "their" dessert, do they automatically get two pieces?)

Why not use the perfectly good, time-tested pronoun one to describe individuals in a nonbinary way? The British do it all the time.

With this simple solution, he or she can have one's cake and we can all eat it together.

Susan R. Friedes
Mamaroneck, N.Y.
To the Editor:
Yes, language is meant to evolve. On the matter of personal pronouns, best to let it evolve naturally rather than forcing the change with conscious effort based on an idea. As Prof. John McWhorter correctly states, "It isn't whether but how things will change over time." Let language follow its own course. Don't force it.

Gunther Theurer
New York
To the Editor:
It would seem that the advocates of "they" in the singular are unconsciously channeling Walt Whitman, who said, "I am large, I contain multitudes."

S.T. Joshi
Seattle

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Opinion | Gender-Neutral Pronouns: The Singular 'They' and Alternatives

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Some readers find the new usage of "they" confusing and offer other options such as "que" and "s/he." To the Editor: Re " In Praise of New Pronouns," by John McWhorter (Opinion, Sept. 24): Mr. McWhorter is certainly correct that language is constantly evolving and none of us can fix it in place.

# data[].attributes.headline
New York Times-Gender Neutral Pronoun Debate

# data[].attributes.subject
New York Times-Gender Neutral Pronoun Debate

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/opinion/gender-pronouns-they.html

There are two separate links here that address my inquiry question regarding Grammar and the evolution of the English Language to fit with the times. The first link shows letters to the editor about the issue. The second link that I've copied and pasted in the body of this post above shows the original article "Gender Pronouns are Changing, It's Exhilarating" by John McWhorter.  These articles discuss different options that are emerging in the English language and the reaction to these different options that the transgender community has as well as society as a whole.

Overall, the tone of these articles is hopeful for transgender communities and it seems like we are on the path to acceptance and not just that but reassurance (one of our buzz List words). I too am hopeful that the SAT Pronoun/Antecedent agreement will evolve with the times. Other research about the SAT Exam in general is that the practice is fading. Less and less colleges require it and if they do, it is only a small facet of the admission requirements and will not "make or break" a student.

Based on this, I think it is more important to focus on the student and make them feel comfortable in my classroom. I need to support them in as many ways as possible and not worry about the smaller grammar nuances.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Some readers find the new usage of "they" confusing and offer other options such as "que" and "s/he."

Credit... Michael Morris

To the Editor:
Re " In Praise of New Pronouns," by John McWhorter (Opinion, Sept. 24):

Mr. McWhorter is certainly correct that language is constantly evolving and none of us can fix it in place. But in his several examples, he demonstrates that language evolves to become clearer and more precise, not to confuse and obscure.

The problem with using "they" to refer to a single person is that it makes the sentence incomprehensible. Each time it pops up I find myself backtracking to find out who these other people are in the sentence. Inserting unclarity into writing for political purposes is not watching a language evolve naturally; it is sacrificing communication to someone's worldview.

Sheryl Reich
New York
To the Editor:
When I saw this article, I tensed up, ready for a fight. My sibling and I are both transgender. Then I kept reading. John McWhorter's article felt like home. I wanted to grab my sibling and all of the wonderful queer people I love and say, Maybe we are OK. Maybe we can be OK.

We went through years of school being taught that queerness does not belong in public education. I have never read anything like Mr. McWhorter's article. The idea that conversations around pronouns can be more than whether or not gender-neutral pronouns are legitimate feels thrilling. Thank you, Mr. McWhorter. Thank you so much.

Adam Denenfeld Kelly
Northampton, Mass.
The writer is 14 years old.
To the Editor:
John McWhorter assures us we'll easily get used to the singular "they." Curiously, he doesn't mention its actual linguistic downside. It's not that it breaks rules; it's that it often reduces clarity.

Anyway, platitudes about natural language drift won't sway doubters any more than now-ubiquitous jibes at the "grammar police" will, because the issue is not really grammar. It's gender. The "pronoun-hesitant" fear not a drift but a movement. They're implicitly being asked to kick their habit of seeing people, including themselves, as fundamentally male or female, and they're aware that this has larger cultural and political implications.

Rather than dismissing their uneasiness, over language or gender, let's admit that it's hard to change how we talk. We should do it anyway. We've jumped through hoops for the gender police for millennia. We can jump through a few more when some pathbreaking soul asks us to see them simply as themselves.

Chris Nelson
Ann Arbor, Mich.
The writer is a freelance copy editor.
To the Editor:
John McWhorter, as authoritative a language maven as one could find, is perplexingly deferential to the brand-new "they," despite the fact that the word combines open misappropriation, guaranteed confusion and sufficient braking power to stop thought and speech in their tracks. His citation of historical precedents for shifts in meaning and lexical innovations may be relevant to a defense of the new usage, but it hardly provides decisive grounds for acquittal. "They" for "s/he," to put it plainly, is a linguistic calamity.

This judgment is in no way a denial of the need for a "nonbinary" pronoun. English as we know it is patently ill prepared for a third or fourth gender, and those who find themselves disregarded by the standard breakdown are fully entitled to suitable remedies. But why have they not built new pronouns from scratch? They are, after all, a population for whom creativity has been a governing way of life.

The most natural coinages would be those that form a set with "she" and "he" such as "que" ("kwee"), "re" and "xe." Could anything be closer to the heart of the L.G.B.T.Q. community than the first of those? And this is just a starter in the brainstorming exercise. The nonbinary community may pick it up from here.

Simon Marcus
Oakland, Calif.
To the Editor:
I agree with John McWhorter that languages are "meant to evolve"; indeed, that is one of the sources of their endless fascination. But the introduction of "they" and "them" to replace gender-specific pronouns in English is both clumsy and unnecessarily disruptive. It also reveals a lack of imagination.

The replacement of Miss and Mrs. by Ms., which Mr. McWhorter notes, was elegant and efficient; using "they" and "them" as both singular and plural is simply obfuscatory. Verb-subject agreement is not a form of gender entrapment - it's a thing of beauty. Let us hope that those who wish to neutralize gender will come up with something that simultaneously enriches our language.

Sonya Michel
Silver Spring, Md.
The writer is professor emerita of history, American studies and women's studies at the University of Maryland, College Park.
To the Editor:
To John McWhorter's call for acceptance of evolving, gender-neutral language, I offer these neologisms: s/he (she-he), which works in print but pronounced "shy," herm (her-him), and herm's (possessive). They are not a great departure from what is.

Richard Rosenthal
New York
To the Editor:
Kudos to John McWhorter, whose cogent "lesson" on linguistic evolution, while condensed, is accessible and clear.

Even the most socially liberal can find it exhausting to keep abreast of changing standards in appropriate and/or acceptable words and behaviors. Mr. McWhorter's explanation of the singular use of "they," which at first blush seems incomprehensible, provides welcome relief for those who, as he concedes, are weary.

As one who tries to remain open-minded in the face of often befuddling changes in popular thought, I'm glad to be reminded that sometimes merely adjusting one's perspective can make all the difference.

Cathy N. Goldstein
New York
To the Editor:
I'm someone who often uses "they" as a singular pronoun out of respect for those who prefer it, but, admittedly, I struggle with it. An important component of language is its precision. If we're really going to celebrate changes in language, as the writer advocates, why not do away with all pronouns that specify our gender and opt for those that clarify our number?

I love the Swedish introduction of the gender-neutral "hen" and would embrace a new English language gender-neutral pronoun, in both its singular and plural forms.

Terry Kleinberg
New York
To the Editor:
Thanks to Prof. John McWhorter for reminding us that life goes on as the English language evolves to reflect changes in social perspectives. But as I read his essay, I kept waiting for him to suggest what seems to me the obvious compromise in the standoff between those who want gender neutrality in pronouns (replacing "they" for "he" or "she") and us English majors (and other self-appointed Keepers of Proper Grammar) who wish to preserve singular/plural distinctions so as to avoid confusion. (For example, if it's "their" dessert, do they automatically get two pieces?)

Why not use the perfectly good, time-tested pronoun one to describe individuals in a nonbinary way? The British do it all the time.

With this simple solution, he or she can have one's cake and we can all eat it together.

Susan R. Friedes
Mamaroneck, N.Y.
To the Editor:
Yes, language is meant to evolve. On the matter of personal pronouns, best to let it evolve naturally rather than forcing the change with conscious effort based on an idea. As Prof. John McWhorter correctly states, "It isn't whether but how things will change over time." Let language follow its own course. Don't force it.

Gunther Theurer
New York
To the Editor:
It would seem that the advocates of "they" in the singular are unconsciously channeling Walt Whitman, who said, "I am large, I contain multitudes."

S.T. Joshi
Seattle

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Opinion | Gender-Neutral Pronouns: The Singular 'They' and Alternatives

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Some readers find the new usage of "they" confusing and offer other options such as "que" and "s/he." To the Editor: Re " In Praise of New Pronouns," by John McWhorter (Opinion, Sept. 24): Mr. McWhorter is certainly correct that language is constantly evolving and none of us can fix it in place.

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- How to address LGBTQ families if the "Don't Say Gay Bill" is passed in every state?
- GSA  do we promote?
- How to identify all of the LGBTQ IA+ terms?
- How do we address bathrooms within schools?
- How often should we be training teachers and parents?  Should it be mandatory?

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At an all girls school, what if a ss identified as a male?  Catholic and all girls....identifying as different identities, what do we do?

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Tom, Maureen, Josh                                     How we can accomplish an environment of acceptance of all and  to feel safe?

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Tom, Maureen, Josh                                     How we can accomplish an environment of acceptance of all and  to feel safe?

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How do we make trans students feel comfortable when other students may not be tolerant?
How do we talk to parents that stand wholly opposed?(culture war/wokeness)
How do we deal with mental health associated with being trans? (dysphoria/depression/suicide rates)
How do we write policy in a rapidly changing environemnt?
Ken, Aidyan, Albert

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Would like to know more about handling the situation.

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-    Teachers need more training on how to handle LGBTQ situations

-    Defining the gender identifiers

-    How to address bathrooms in schools

-    Acknowledging LGBTQ needs and presence

-    Sexual orientation change and hormone changes

-   Making a comfortable environment for students

-    Pronouns and adjusting language

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Accept and Respect - George, Jacob, Elisabeth 

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Accept and Respect - George, Jacob, Elisabeth 

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This is a sensitive topic so educating kids and educators is important for people to further understand and learn about these topics. Some things that allow for acceptance is bathroom policy, using proper pronouns, pride week (Texas has been having something like this), overall making people feel included.

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Developmental appropriate-ness for younger students, Are there legal obligations to inform parents of our students well-being? considering they are under 18 and "minors"

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With all of the pandemic issues going on, when is the appropriate time to make the discussion a priority?  How do we support students who identify as the opposite sex in a single sex school?  How do we navigate appropriate representation of preferred pronouns?  Students used to be allowed to write their pronouns in their email signature, but now are not allowed as it is viewed as “not inclusive” for those who do not wish to identify at all.

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List: Maureen, Tom, Josh                   To create an environment in school that lets all students feel safe, friendly, and understanding of all . Students need to feel accepted.

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List: Maureen, Tom, Josh                   To create an environment in school that lets all students feel safe, friendly, and understanding of all . Students need to feel accepted.

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Judgement free zone, inclusion - understanding differences, circle of trust, feeling welcome, "all minds and students are equal," standing up for each other, other adults in school mistaking student's gender, student/teacher relationship, open conversations with students, sex education, bathrooms, sports, children's book: Red by Michael Hall

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How do we change the negative attitudes toward LGBTQ students?

How do we make students feel safe?

How does this look in elementary versus high/middle school settings?

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10 Tips for building an LGBQT inclusive classroom. 1. Know that your students are ready to discuss LGBTQ issues. 2. Recognize that sexual and gender identity is multifaceted.3. Refrain from “call out culture,” but when discipline is necessary, respond to all identity-based attacks consistently.4. Don’t assume talking about LGBTQ issues has to involve talking about sex. 5. Trust your own positive intentions. 6. Integrate LGBTQ-inclusive books with other books, and make them easy to check out anonymously. 7. Treat LGBTQ characters in literature as whole people with many interests and identities. 8. Speak in terms of relationships rather than labels. 9. Don’t rely on LGBTQ students to explain LGBTQ characters to the class. 10. Build in substantial free response and open discussion time.

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Provide students with an outlet to discuss these issues without judgement, being open minded, resource, opportunity to share facts with students, support system, fear

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A. Importance of making a welcoming space in the classroom. It needs to move beyond "tolerance" and be more welcoming.  (Similar to the icebreaker activity: what makes you feel welcome?)
B. Representation
C.  Gay Straight Alliance Club can help students feel welcome-has teacher support at my district which helps students.
D.  Reassurance
E. Validation
F.  SBBH-School Behavioral Health Team that can help
G. Accountability-hold students accountable with not using words insensitively

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responsive, supportive, counselors, bathrooms, school layout, awareness programming, language use/awareness, self-worth, safety, freedom of expression, security, equality

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  How do you respond in the situation when there is a transgender student and parental awareness?​ How do we approach challenges that emerge with students and identity?​ How do we maintain connection with students and appropriate limits?​ What is the responsibility of the teacher to the parent?

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  How do you respond in the situation when there is a transgender student and parental awareness?​ How do we approach challenges that emerge with students and identity?​ How do we maintain connection with students and appropriate limits?​ What is the responsibility of the teacher to the parent?

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I teach SAT Prep and I have to teach lessons on pronoun/antecedent agreement. The current correct thing to do for transgender students is to use "they" if the student requests that pronoun, but I have to teach my students that if you write "Sally likes to walk to the park with their books" is incorrect and that it must be "his/her." So far I actually have not had an issue when we come to this unit, but I am waiting for the moment a student asks about it. I have had about 6 or 7 transgender students and I always worry about it being a sensitive topic, but the issue still stands that it will be marked wrong on the SAT if written that way. It is a systemic issue that I cannot change. I can only control the way that I present the information.