Preferred gender pronouns or personal gender pronounsrefer to the set of third-person pronouns that an individual prefers that others use in order to identify that person's gender. In English, when declaring one's preferred pronouns, a person will often state the subject, object, and possessive pronouns—for example, "she, her, hers", "he, him, his", or "they, them, theirs"—although sometimes, only the subject and object pronouns are stated. The pronouns preferred may include non-traditional ones such as "ze" and "zir".
Rationale
PGPs have come into use as a way of promoting equity and inclusion for transgender and genderqueer people. The use of such has been identified by social workers, educators, and medical professionals as both a practical and ethical consideration. Style guides and associations of journalists and health professionals advise use of the pronoun preferred or considered appropriate by the person in question. When dealing with clients or patients, health practitioners are advised to take note of the pronouns used by the individuals themselves, which may involve using different pronouns at different times. This is also extended to the name preferred by the person concerned. LGBTQadvocacy groups also advise using the pronouns and names preferred or considered appropriate by the person concerned. They further recommend avoiding gender confusion when referring to the background of transgender people, such as using a title or rank to avoid a gendered pronoun or name.
Cautions
However, the custom of asking for PGPs is not universally accepted or advised. The dean of women at Pomona College, Rachel N. Levin, advised against professors asking students to reveal their PGPs during class introductions, since this could upset the very people the PGP use is supposed to support. The two examples Levin gives include one student who has to confront not passing, and another student who does not know which pronouns to request others to use. The British charity Stonewall also advises caution, saying the practice should be encouraged but not mandated.
Terminology
There exists some disagreement on whether or not to refer to PGPs as "preferred". Some people omit the word "preferred", calling them "gender pronouns" or simply "pronouns" to emphasize that correct use of pronouns is a social obligation rather than an individual preference. They fear that including "preferred" in the name may cause some people to think that using an individual's PGPs is optional. Those who retain "preferred" point to a parallel with "preferred names" or as a way of affirming the individual's agency or right to choose their own pronouns. Instead of saying "What are your preferred pronouns?" one may ask "What pronouns do you use?" or "What are your pronouns?"
