By: Darcy Hilton
The increase of inclusivity within the transgender and non conforming gender community has promoted the use of “they” as a singular pronoun. Such vocabulary has gained popularity by schools and jobs allowing the choice of they/them pronouns as preferences in the workplace and classroom, social medias has allowed choice of they/them pronouns to be displayed on the users bio’s and many introductions currently begin with “Hello my name is” quickly followed by my pronouns, they/them being one of the most common answers. Predictably, this change of vocabulary has received a lot of controversy from many different voices.
However, not everyone is quick to accept this vocabulary. Many find grammatical errors in such usage with the justification that it is a plural pronoun and cannot be used singularly. However it is likely the case that this opposition is not entirely based on the grammatical 
argument. This argument consists of those who want to “preserve” the English language. Given it is fairly new to the language it is not surprising that some oppose the usage. Kathy Stienmetz of TIME magazine wrote in her article This Is Why Singular ‘They’ Is Such a Controversial Subject, “students are taught that pronouns are the bedrock of language, and it can be discomfiting when the rules about how to use them start to shift” mentioning that it can be difficult for people to accept the change in the english language.
Despite this, many are open to the language change of adopting they as a singular pronoun. However according to The Oxford English Dictionary, they as a singular pronoun has been used for around 600 years. Many of the supporters believe that it is courtesy that should encourage people and organizations to adopt the use of “they”. The use of they as a singular pronoun is some people’s preference and that should be respected regardless if one believes that it is the correct English grammar or not. As the inclusion and learning manager at GLAAD Mackenzie Harte, told yahoo lifestyle ““They/them is a widely accepted pronoun that is used both for singular person and someone who is non-binary, which is supported in respected media style guides, including the AP style guide. Using the pronouns that someone uses to describe themselves is a small step to affirm someone, and makes a big impact in making sure that a person is being respected for who they are.” Regardless of change in grammar this shift in vocabulary will help inclusivity more than it will harm grammar.
Personally I think that because language is so fluid the usage of the word “they” as a singular pronoun can be accepted into our vocabulary just as any other vocabulary has been accepted in the past. If a person feels most comfortable using such pronouns, I think that it is reasonable to expect organizations and peers to respect certain preferences. As voiced by Dennis Baron, a linguist at the University of Illinois “ “If you complain about a particular issue, it’s usually … too late to do anything about it.” referencing the adopted use of the pronoun. Opponents of such language likely already use “they” as a singular pronoun in their everyday vocabulary already. Think about it, if you were to get cut off in traffic one would say “they cut me off”, many other instances would align to using “they” as well.
Cites
Cottier, Cody. “People Have Used They/Them as Singular Pronouns for Hundreds of Years.” Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 4 Jan. 2021, www.di
scovermagazine.com/mind/people-have-used-they-them-as-singular-pronouns-for-hundreds-of-years.
Steinmetz, Katy. “Why Singular ‘they’ Is a Controversial Subject.” Time, Time, 13 Dec. 2019, time.com/5748649/word-of-year-they-merriam-webster/#:~:text=This%20usage%20of%20singular%20they,referred%20to%20in%20certain%20ways.
“Sam Smith Prefers Pronouns ‘they’ and ‘Them.’ Here’s What It Means.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/sam-smith-prefers-pronouns-they-and-them-heres-what-it-means-201410342.html. Accessed 9 Nov. 2023.