Ze? Hir? Pronouns at University of Michigan Reflect Gender Identity

What’s in a personal pronoun? Only an individual’s entire identity. Now, University of Michigan students who prefer the gender-neutral pronouns “ze” and “hir,” for example, will be referred to as such in the classroom.

In the past, U-M has used “they” as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun, but it was more or less a filler pronoun used when a person’s gender identity was unknown. The new policy reflects a shift away from the idea that there are only two genders, male and female, and nothing in between, to be inclusive of individuals who identify outside of the gender binary.

“Asking about and correctly using someone's designated pronoun is one of the most basic ways to show respect for their identity and to cultivate an environment that respects all gender identities,” Provost Martha Pollack and Vice President for Student Life Royster Harper said in an email message to students and faculty announcing the new pronoun policy.

“If you make a mistake and use the wrong pronoun, you can acknowledge that you made a mistake and use the correct pronoun next time,” the email continued. “Please help us continue to make the University of Michigan an inclusive and welcoming place for all of our students.”

U-M students are able to designate a personal pronoun with the university and have it reflected on class rosters, the university said, explaining the change is another way to foster an environment of inclusivity.

When students designate a personal pronoun, they do so with the expectations that others will use it when referencing them. Designated pronouns are automatically populated on class rosters. If a student doesn’t designate a pronoun, none will be listed.

This process has been developed over the past year by a Pronoun Committee made up of faculty and administrators from the university’s campuses in Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint.

Image by VasenkaPhotography via Flickr / Creative Commons