he, she or anything in between

[mint]

These are difficult times for not treading on sensibilities when referring to someone as he or she.

In English, it's easier because one can always use they.  As in "For everyone who has a problem with this, they can be reassured that there is a solution".

For the French, however, when even inanimate objects can be masculine or feminine, things can get trickier.  I have read that there is a suggestion to use iel for he or she and no trans or bisexuals or anybody else could get offended.

And, for goodness sake, do not say bonjour followed by monsieur or madame[:D]

[idun]

Frankly I am with JK Rowling and some female MP's on this and am rather sick to death of the whole debacle.

French documentaries used to be very good and I remember, many many years ago seeing several about  some societies in the far east with a third gender. Even all those years ago, it seemed like a common sense approach.

Lately Eddie Izard has decided 'he' wants to be spoken to as 'she'. Putting a frock on and make up does not a woman make, and I know plenty of women these days who would not dream of wearing a skirt or dress and do not wear make up at all. AND yet, like us all will have had usual female problems.

Ofcourse they vary in us all, but periods, well. could any man really imagine having them, may be if for some fortunate females, they are simply a few days of a little bit of a mess an no pain. For many, probably most, we have pain and a right 'mess' to put up with for 40 odd years.

And that risk of pregnancy, these days, well, less risk ofcourse, but historically never.  The risk of rape. And for all there are men in abusive relationships, the majority are women, no matter their place in society.

Lel, give me strength.

So you want to be a woman, have a full refit and every month get some sort of electrodes to make your belly ache once a month for almost forty years. And I have forgotten breast ache from time to time and cystitis et al.

I have no idea what being a man is like with all that testosterone, but for us women, I feel as if we are being belittled, as IF that has not happened for centuries, by those who think they are the wrong gender.

Haven't even mentioned child birth, there is a lot I could say about that.

There must be an answer to this. But women are not yet on a level playing field with regards to salaries and promotions at work.

And those who want to be men, well, full refit and they get testosterone, so will they feel 'manly' with that? how could I know?

A third gender, sounds like a good idea, and new words for that, and I could go with that.

edit, I have been thinking about this quite a lot recently mint and wondering what the french will do about it with regards to their language.

[anotherbanana]

Surely, he, she and it!?

[Lori]

More and more frequently these days, I thank my lucky stars I no longer have a social circle.  I speak to very few people and as much as I will do my best to be polite to anyone, I do not really give a crap what they think of me.  So, I will stick to the standards. 

[Lehaut]

LGBGTQ+

I keep getting into trouble for saying the BLT people!

[mint]

Don't know when I last had a BLT sandwich.  The tomatoes taste rubbish at the moment.

[Le martin-pêcheur]

Years ago in UK I used to drive an MGBGT, glad I don't now - who knows what it may suggest :-)

[anotherbanana]

You must now say ‘chest milk’ instead of ‘ breastmilk’ as one of the ‘its’ might get upset. How perchance is this milk formed? In a breast, not a chest. Logically then teets not ti*s. Such stupidity.

[Judith-aka-Judith]

And human biology being what it is, it is the female of the species which has hte milk containing glands, which technically and medically are called breast, not chest ...   PC gone completely mad IMHO.

[idun]

Spontaneous production of milk not associated with childbirth, known as galactorrhea, can occur in males and females. In human males and females.

[mint]

[quote user="Le martin-pêcheur"]Years ago in UK I used to drive an MGBGT, glad I don't now - who knows what it may suggest :-)[/quote]

Man, Girl, Boy?  Google Thoroughly!

[Weegie]

"In English, it's easier because one can always use they.  As in "For everyone who has a problem with this, they can be reassured that there is a solution"."

Except one and anyone are singular.[:D]

[mint]

Yes, Weegie, I know except "they" is now widely used, even in learned articles and academic papers.  I use it in just the way I have demonstrated and, after all, there is no problem with understanding what is said.

Expanding  on your grammar query a bit, I always use "no one" as singular and give it a singular verb but lots of people seem to use it in a plural sense.

All these things seem to be "trending" although THAT is a word I NEVER use[:)]