

Reviled by grammar trolls the world over, this term has provoked the ire of multiple generations of fuddy-duddies.

Some words that grammar pedants scoff at as obnoxious neologisms were in fact coined as long ago as the nineteenth century. Unfortunately for prescriptivists, English is constantly changing-and always has been. In the linguistics community, there is a term for this view of language: prescriptivism. Grammar pedants and trolls generally operate under a series of assumptions about language, which may or may not reflect current usage and accepted norms.

One of the great lies about the English language is that it remains static.

If you have more questions about gender or sexuality, consult GLSEN’s resources on the subject. Of course, these three terms are just the beginning of a discussion about gender, but for the purposes of talking about gender-neutral or third-gender pronouns, they’re a great start. Nonbinary: Adjective describing a person who identifies as neither male nor female. The gender binary does not take into account the diversity of gender identities and gender expressions among all people, and is oppressive to anyone who does not conform to dominant societal gender norms. Gender binary: A socially constructed system of viewing gender as male or female, in which no other possibilities for gender are believed to exist. Since gender is a social construction, it is possible for people to reject or modify the assignments given to them and develop something that feels truer and more just to themselves. Gender: A set of cultural identities, expressions, and roles-traditionally categorized as feminine or masculine-that are assigned to people based on the interpretation of their bodies, and more specifically, their sexual and reproductive anatomy. Here are three gender-related terms that you should know: We’d like to start by defining a few key terms in this discussion. Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly First, some gender-related terminology
