Editor’s note: Resident Sasha Nyary asked NGX to share a letter she recently sent to the Ad hoc Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
| Sasha Nyary: Letter to the Editor |
The DEI Committee has been debating singular they, the grammatical term for using “they” as a person’s pronoun instead of he/him or she/hers. There’s a movement today toward using singular they more generally and the committee has been asked to consider changing the pronouns in the town policy and communications to reflect this.
I have some experience and knowledge about this topic that I’d like to share.
My expertise
I have been a professional writer and editor since 1989, when I got a reporting job at Sports Illustrated, right after I received my masters degree in journalism from Columbia University. I worked in national magazines for 15 years, mostly at Life magazine. Most recently I’ve worked for colleges and universities in their marketing and communications offices. I was elected by my peers to serve on the board of my national professional organization, which is called ACES, The Society for Editors. Today I have my own writing and editing business, Sasha Nyary Communications. I have taken courses and workshops and attended conferences about language and editing and had endless conversations with language experts.
Language changes
And what I’ve learned is that language is fluid. It’s organic. It changes constantly, and you can see that if you read a Shakespeare play, or a newspaper, from, say, from the 18th century, or a Jane Austen novel from the 19th. The way language changes is why, when I study my Bible, I use the New Revised Standard Version, rather than the King James. It’s more accessible to my ear — it’s more modern. I feel more welcomed and invited into the text.
Singular they has been in use for nearly a thousand years. The Oxford English Dictionary traces it back at least to 1375. Today we use singular they all the time: “Everyone grab their coats.” “A person can’t help where they’re from.” “No one has to go if they don’t want to.” Those sentences all use singular they. The argument that its usage is not grammatical is not correct.
I first encountered this usage about six years ago and it felt wrong, unfamiliar, and even a bit scary to my classically trained ear. But I was told by my colleagues and editorial peers and books I read and presentations I listened to that it was important to avoid language that made people feel left out. I decided that it was more important that everyone feel included, that it wasn’t a hard lift for me to simply adjust.
This usage is widely accepted
I want to give you two practical examples why you might consider using singular they in town communications. One is that everyone is doing it. Not just the lefties and the politically correct people. Everyone.
In the world of journalism — and any kind of professional communications, really — most organizations and businesses maintain something they call an editorial style guide. I’ve written several style guides for various places I’ve worked.
Today I mostly use the Associated Press Stylebook. Every day, half of the world’s population reads articles that have been created following what’s known as AP style. AP is known to be pretty conservative in its language suggestions and you can see why, given that huge readership — it has to appeal to a lot of people. So it was noteworthy in 2017 when AP changed their style to accept singular they. The singular they entry in their style guide today says not allowing its use may make someone feel censored or invisible.
Using it will help the town raise money from outside sources
There’s another more practical reason, though, and that’s money. Overwhelmingly, foundations and businesses and organizations that make grants and donations are looking at what efforts the applicant is making toward addressing diversity, equity and inclusion in their organization or community. It’s a standard part of a grant application. So if the Friends of the Library, say, want to apply for a grant to make the grounds more attractive, put in a few benches, buy better gardening tools, for instance, its application will be much stronger if they can point to ways that the town is addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Committee members might ask themselves these questions: Do they want more money from outside sources to pay for projects large and small? Do they want more people to want to move here, in general? Do they want to make New Gloucester a more inviting and welcoming place for all kinds of people?
Sasha Nyary
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this opinion piece are solely those of the author. Publication does not reflect endorsement by the NGXchange or its volunteers. NGX welcomes diverse viewpoints and invites your submissions. Learn more here.
