Congratulations, They Have Been Accepted: Brown University Uses “Gender-Inclusive” Pronoun In Its 2017 Acceptance Letter.
jonathanturley
We have previously discussed how some schools are abandoning the use of traditional pronouns to reflect a growing list of possible genders for students. Brown University has pushed these changes even further in its acceptance letters this year by using “they” as the “gender-inclusive” pronoun. Thus the letter refers to “their” achievements when referring to the singular admitted student. For many, the use of such plural pronouns for a single individual is confusing and ungrammatical. However, the Associated Press recently adopted the use of “they” as a preferred pronoun in recognition of transexual and other individuals who may not be comfortable with traditional genders.
These new designations have led to an equally elastic list of pronouns. So at the University of Vermont, students can choose “he,” “she,” “they,” and “ze,” as well as “name only.” Other options are captures on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee card given to faculty and students:
A Brown spokesperson stated to the Wall Street Journal that “[w]hile the grammatical construction may read as unfamiliar to some, it has been adopted by many newsrooms and other organizations as a gender-inclusive option.” It would seem more than “unfamiliar” but rather ungrammatical.
These moves are raising questions on the degree to which schools should accommodate a relatively small percentage of students who do not adhere to traditional genders.
