When the non-binary pronoun they became Merriam-Webster’s
word of the year, does this spell victory for LGBTQ rights?
By: Ringo Bones
Back in December 2019, Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary added a
new definition of the word “they” – reflecting its use as a singular personal
pronoun for non-binary people. Soon as the US based dictionary firm did this,
searches for the new definition of “they” on their website went 31-percent
higher in 2019 compared to 2018, prompting the firm to designate the non-binary
pronoun they as 2019’s Word of the Year.
British pop star Sam Smith came out as a non-binary in March
2019 and in September 2019 confirmed on Instagram that their pronouns were “they
/ them”. Announcing their pronouns, Smith wrote: “I understand there will be
many mistakes and misunderstanding, but all I ask is you please, please try. I hope
you can see me like I see myself now.”
Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor-at-large, told
the Associated Press news agency that searches shot up when Oslo Grace was
rising to prominence, when Sam Smith came out and when US congresswoman Pramila
Jayapal spoke about her gender-nonconforming child while arguing for LGBTQ
rights legalization in April 2019. The English language famously lacks a
gender-neutral singular pronoun to correspond neatly with singular pronouns
like everyone or someone and as a consequence, they have been used for this
purpose – albeit in an ad hoc manner – for over 600 years.
