News Munchies

Personal Pronouns Aren't Just for English Class

Originally Posted Thursday, 22 September 2022 at 07:37 PM
Updated Thursday, 22 September 2022 at 08:16 PM

Let’s talk about words substituting for other words: Pronouns aren’t just for English classes any more.

And for Prof. Nicholas Meriwether at Shawnee State University in south-central Ohio, pronouns are either highly important or very unimportant, depending on how you look at it.

Prof. Meriwether just won a $400,000 settlement with his employer, who had demanded that he use only approved language when referring to students – or, as the school would put it, for refusing to use a transgender student's "preferred" pronouns.

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the uncooperative professor, and the administration nodded meekly in his direction and promised never to do such a bad thing again.

Here are two illustrations of the issue:

Gender-neutral pronouns

He/She -- Zie, Sie, Ey, Ve, Tey, E.
Him/Her -- Zim, Sie, Em, Ver, Ter, Em.
His/Her -- Zir, Hir, Eir, Vis, Tem, Eir.
His/Hers -- Zis, Hirs, Eirs, Vers, Ters, Eirs.
Himself/Herself -- Zieself, Hirself, Eirself, Verself, Terself, Emself.

Here is a differently constructed list

They, Them, Their.
Ze/Zie, Zir, Zirs.
Sie, Hir, Hirs.
E, Es, Em.
Xe, Xem, Xyr.
Tey, Ter, Tem.
Ey/Em/Eir.
Mx.

This issue and these word constructs are of some importance to certain transgender, agender, or nonbinary individuals and their supporters. Folks who feel strongly about this topic (I’ll use MY pronouns here and, really, everywhere), believe it a micro-aggression for someone to know their inclusive language preference, but to intentionally refuse to oblige them.

Of course, this argument can be turned on its head, too: I may find someone not respecting my preferences, someone (or some business) demanding that I change my language to use words and phrases that make me feel uncomfortable, constitutes a micro-aggression against me.

Why should the other person’s preferences be more important than, or outweigh, mine?

It’s sorta like my views on Christmas. Rather than trying to figure out if another person celebrates Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or Winter Solstice or Rohatsu or nothing at all, I greet them with my tradition and encourage them to greet me with theirs. Problem solved.

The world used to be so simple.

About The Author

Richard B. Barger, ABC, APR

Richard B. Barger, ABC, APR, is well-positioned as CornerBarPR's Chief Curmudgeon; he's our version of Andy Rooney -- loves words, particularly loves to complain about idiocy.

In his spare time, Rich runs the inventively named Barger Consulting, where he conducts strategic communications planning and research, and gives people advice whether they want it or not.

Through the years, Rich has tricked unsuspecting folks into giving him positions as managing editor of the public relations division of a 180-person agency, and as a wire service editor, an economic analyst, a federal investigator, and, bless his little muddy boots, a farmer. Really. He fancies himself a pretty fair country editor and at one time was famous among about half a dozen people as "The Voice of IABC."

At various points in what passes for a career, he's done time as a member of IABC, PRSA, and NSPRA, as well as the Gifted Association of Missouri, the University of Missouri Alumni Association, the Council of Better Business Bureaus (as a Senior Arbitrator), and a handful of church choirs.

Known as "Boom-Boom Barger" in Marching Mizzou, Rich refuses to answer the phone during University of Missouri football or basketball games, plays a hard-edged game of bridge, and is married to a woman he doesn't like to talk about much, because she's smarter and much nicer than he is.

Barger's motto: "Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once."