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<p>The increasing share of individuals adopting gender-neutral pronouns as their personal pronouns represents one of the most significant socio-linguistic shifts of the past decade. Academic research in this space, however, is surprisingly limited. This study relies on unique data from an Australian equity and diversity survey (<i>N</i> = 41,157) to provide first-time empirical evidence on the factors underpinning the adoption of gender-neutral pronouns, focusing on gender identity, outness, allyship, sexual orientation, and other social locations. Our results reveal a high degree of overlap between non-binary identification and adoption of gender-neutral ‘they’ pronouns. However, a non-negligible share of non-binary individuals do not use these pronouns, whereas a small-to-moderate share of individuals from binary genders do so. Not being ‘out’ about their gender identity precluded adoption of ‘they’ pronouns amongst non-binary people, whereas being an active ally, a woman, and sexuality-diverse fostered their adoption amongst binary-gender individuals. These results carry important practical lessons for diversity-and-inclusion training and interpersonal interactions in social settings.</p>

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Who Are ‘They’? Gender-Neutral Pronoun Adoption by Non-Binary People and Other Gender Groups

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年4月7日

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  • Francisco Perales,
  • Christine Ablaza,
  • Nicki Elkin

摘要

The increasing share of individuals adopting gender-neutral pronouns as their personal pronouns represents one of the most significant socio-linguistic shifts of the past decade. Academic research in this space, however, is surprisingly limited. This study relies on unique data from an Australian equity and diversity survey (N = 41,157) to provide first-time empirical evidence on the factors underpinning the adoption of gender-neutral pronouns, focusing on gender identity, outness, allyship, sexual orientation, and other social locations. Our results reveal a high degree of overlap between non-binary identification and adoption of gender-neutral ‘they’ pronouns. However, a non-negligible share of non-binary individuals do not use these pronouns, whereas a small-to-moderate share of individuals from binary genders do so. Not being ‘out’ about their gender identity precluded adoption of ‘they’ pronouns amongst non-binary people, whereas being an active ally, a woman, and sexuality-diverse fostered their adoption amongst binary-gender individuals. These results carry important practical lessons for diversity-and-inclusion training and interpersonal interactions in social settings.