List: Pronoun Studies | Curated by Kirby Conrod

Feb 19, 2025
20 stories
1 save
Pronoun StudiesKirby's series of blog posts specifically about the linguistics of gendered pronouns, meant for regular folks and linguists alike
Kirby Conrod
Pronoun Studies FAQs: do you use pronouns in front of people?Do people actually use third person pronouns in front of the person they’re referring to? Linguistics says: it’s more likely than you…
Feb 19
11
2
Feb 19
11
2
Kirby Conrod
put a coin in the pronoun jarAn old comedy podcast episode casts a taboo on a determiner, and this means I have to talk about the “swear jar for pronouns” thing again
Dec 23, 2021
32
1
Dec 23, 2021
32
1
Kirby Conrod
intermediate pronoun studies: themselves and themselfQ: Should I say ‘themself’ or ‘themselves’ with singular they? A: People say both! And it kind of depends!
Mar 26, 2022
82
3
Mar 26, 2022
82
3
Kirby Conrod
pronouns aren’t gender; please get better at looking at birdsPronouns aren’t gender. Confused? Try this one neat trick to make your brain better at perceiving!
May 25, 2022
406
9
May 25, 2022
406
9
Kirby Conrod
pronoun espionagewhy i sometimes let people (especially bosses and doctors) misgender me so I can gain valuable intel
May 30, 2022
155
2
May 30, 2022
155
2
Kirby Conrod
The right doesn’t care what a pronoun is.Stop trying to have arguments about grammar when fascists are trying to have arguments about trans people.
Sep 22, 2022
347
5
Sep 22, 2022
347
5
Kirby Conrod
some sample emails about pronounssome alternative strategies instead of just changing the pronouns in your email signature to 60pt font (I know, I want to, too)
Sep 21, 2023
2
Sep 21, 2023
2
Kirby Conrod
guest post: pronoun sharing is for cis peopleputting pronouns on nametags is an accommodation for cis people to help them feel better, not a thing that actually advances trans rights
Sep 29, 2023
5
3
Sep 29, 2023
5
3
Kirby Conrod
you don’t have to engineer the perfect solution to nonbinary languageIs the nature of language efficiency or clarity? Look, buddy, it’s transient, shifting like water.
Jan 15, 2024
37
Jan 15, 2024
37
Kirby Conrod
How to do the absolute minimum (with pronouns)If you’re having trouble using someone’s pronouns*, here’s some advice on how not to be a dingus about it:
Dec 4, 2017
229
1
Dec 4, 2017
229
1
Kirby Conrod
The Problem With Pronoun PracticesHow to establish pronoun-sharing practices without pressuring people to out themselves
Jul 1, 2019
299
2
Jul 1, 2019
299
2
Kirby Conrod
the president of pronouns gives you permission to just kind of try stuff outcis people: have you ever tried out using a different pronoun? how did it go?
Sep 28, 2020
265
Sep 28, 2020
265
Kirby Conrod
pronouns 101: introduction to your loved one’s new pronounsYour loved one (friend? family member? coworker whose feelings you give a shit about?) has asked you to use different pronouns than the…
Dec 27, 2020
52
Dec 27, 2020
52
Kirby Conrod
pronouns 102: how to stop messing up pronounsPronouns are hard! There is a reason for that (the reason is… linguistics), but the fact of the matter is, many people find it very…
Dec 27, 2020
85
5
Dec 27, 2020
85
5
Kirby Conrod
Intermediate Pronoun Studies: reader question 1A reader question: how to get better at using the right pronouns when someone’s name or appearance doesn’t seem to match?
Jan 7, 2021
4
Jan 7, 2021
4
Kirby Conrod
ASK A LINGUIST ABOUT… PRONOUNS!For International Pronouns Day on October 21st, 2020, I joined with Nathan Dors from UW IT, who’s been working on incorporating pronouns…
Jan 21, 2021
15
Jan 21, 2021
15
Kirby Conrod
implicit misgenderingAre there times when using they is just as wrong/harmful as using he or she incorrectly? tl;dr: yes
Jan 21, 2021
62
2
Jan 21, 2021
62
2
Kirby Conrod
intermediate pronoun studies: multiple pronounsReader question: WHAT do I do when someone lists multiple sets of pronouns? Well, it depends!
Jan 30, 2021
100
2
Jan 30, 2021
100
2
Kirby Conrod
intermediate pronoun studies: how do I make people stop misgendering me?Reader question: how do I get people to stop misgendering me?
Jun 8, 2021
66
Jun 8, 2021
66
Kirby Conrod
Guest Lecture in Pronouns: VasundharaVasundhara Gautam writes a guest post about xyr pronouns! Why xe chose those pronouns, how to choose your own pronouns, and more!
Jul 14, 2021
118
Jul 14, 2021
118