Pen to Paper: The Gender Question

When I write, I use “he” as a gender-neutral pronoun. It’s how I was taught, and I’ve known enough women who are smarter than I am who unapologetically use “he” that I haven’t been terribly self-conscious when I use it. Still, it is obvious that “he” is not gender neutral, and using it as the standard pronoun denies half of the human race.

The “s/he” or “his and/or her” attempts at gender neutrality are simply abominable. They announce, “I’m working so hard to be inclusive that I’ve destroyed the flow of my own sentence, and now you’re focused on my inclusiveness rather than my point.” Alternating between “he” and “she” has the same effect.

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