Today is National Grammar Day!
I’m involved in advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community as the president of my local PFLAG chapter, and something I hear frequently is how challenging a person might feel it is to use pronouns different from what they assume are correct for someone. This includes the tired argument that using “they/them” in a singular sense is grammatically incorrect.
Greatist says, “Pronouns aren’t a preference — they can save lives. The Trevor Project’s research on mental health in 2021 found that 42% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, yet those who had their pronouns respected by all the people they live with attempted suicide at half the rate of those who did not have their pronouns affirmed.”
To learn more, check out mypronouns.org. There’s also an excellent ‘singular they’ blog post at Grammarly.
