DemDaily: The Politics of Personal Pronouns
March 17, 2026
Among the many targets of the Trump Administration in its mission to erase all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our government, our culture, and history is the use of personal pronouns -- the very symbol of individuality.
In executive orders signed on his first day of office, Trump banned the use of preferred gender pronouns in official government communications, framing the changes as a rejection of "gender ideology" in favor of "biological truth."
While the fight to preserve this important tool of respect and recognition of singular dignity in addressing our fellow Americans is largely incumbent upon the younger generation, its history long predates its most recent acclamation to a societal norm.
| A pronoun is a word that takes the place of one or more nouns. Personal pronouns are words you use to refer to someone, other than the person's name. A gender-neutral or gender-inclusive pronoun is one which does not specify the gender of the person being discussed. |
History
Language is an ever-evolving social creation that continues to adapt to societal views, events, expression and history. Among the most prominent examples of linguistic evolution in recent years is the adjustment of the English language to be more inclusive of transgender and nonbinary people through the use of personal gender, or non-gender, pronouns.
Public discourse around gendered and gender-neutral pronouns has existed since the beginning of the English language. The pronunciations of pronouns for men and women were practically indiscernible until "she" was introduced in the 12th century. "They" was used as a singular pronoun as early as 1375 and can be found in the works of both Chaucer and Shakespeare.
The personal pronouns' most recent progression is a reflection of society's reaction to events over the last two decades, which shed light on the issue, victims, and faces of gender inclusivity.
Those include the increase in hate crimes against transgender individuals, the influence of prominent public transgender and genderqueer figures, and the election of LGBTQIA+ officials at all levels of public office.
The adoption of gender-neutral pronouns like "they, them, theirs," as alternatives to the more conventional "he" and "she" has become a part of the professional and personal lexicon of modern society, with corporations, institutions, schools and private employers embracing the terms in the name of diversity.
The Associated Press Stylebook introduced the term in 2017, and Merriam-Webster, in 2019, was the last major dictionary to include a nonbinary definition of "they" -- voted Word of the Decade by the American Dialect Society in 2020.
| The AP Stylebook guidelines define and permit the use of "they/them/their " as a singular pronoun for individuals who identify as transgender, nonbinary, agender, or gender-fluid and use those pronouns. "They" is acceptable when referring to a person whose gender is unknown (e.g., "the victim") or for indefinite pronouns like "anyone." If you aren’t clear about which pronoun a person uses, it’s OK and advisable to ask them. Don’t refer in interviews or stories to preferred or chosen pronouns. The stylebook explicitly rejects neopronouns such as xe or ze, as they are not widely understood by general audiences. |
Tackling discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people was a policy priority under the administration of President Joe Biden, and in 2021, the US Congress approved gender-neutral language in the official House rules and established a permanent Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Legal Status
With Trump's government-wide decimation of all DEI offices, programs and related policies, the legal status of personal and gender-neutral pronouns in the United States is a complex landscape of conflicting federal guidance and state laws.
Legislation in at least 10 states -- Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Utah -- exempts teachers, staff, and classmates from having to use students’ pronouns or names if they don’t align with the student’s sex assigned at birth. In six of those states, teachers or administrators are also required to tell parents if their child requests to use a different name or pronouns.
Other states have specific protections. New York City's Human Rights Law and California's Fair Employment and Housing Act require employers and landlords to use a person’s self-identified pronouns. Persistent refusal can lead to civil fines or hostile work environment claims.
At the Federal level, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) prohibits the use of pronouns or names that are inconsistent with an individual’s gender identity, which constitutes unlawful harassment in the workplace and is a violation of Title VII.
In 2020, the US Supreme Court ruled that Title VII’s prohibition against sex discrimination includes discrimination based on an employee’s gender identity or sexual orientation.
Several recent and pending cases before the High Court, however, have, or are expected to, diminish some of those protections.
DemList will keep you informed.
| On a practical level, there is still a generational gap regarding the use of gender-neutral pronouns. According to Pew research polling, about 61% of adults under 30 say they are comfortable with gender-neutral pronouns, compared to just 31% of those 65 and older. |
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Sources: AP, PBS, NIH, Merriam-Webster, EEOC, PRRI, LGBTQ+ Pride Center/UCM, US Congress, New York Times, Pew, YouGov
