Tell your English teacher they can shove it: AP Stylebook settles on its gender-fluid pronoun of choice

Brett T. | 8:17 PM on March 28, 2017

Most people will never have a reason to consult the Associated Press Stylebook, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be influenced by it: plenty of reporters follow its guidance, and that filter through to what appears in print and online every day.

Though the AP often says it’s just following the direction the language is taking, politics obviously plays a role. In 2013 the AP dropped “illegal immigrant” from its Stylebook and adopted a more nuanced and CAIR-approved definition of “Islamist.”

This year, the AP is taking some baby steps toward contemporary sexuality and gender by adding Q to LGBT and allowing the use of “they” as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun to take the place of the binary “he or she.”

The AP Stylebook now includes "they" as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun:https://t.co/eAaBzqOgQT pic.twitter.com/lujCCJPjWe

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 28, 2017

AP allows for use of singular 'they'. Bans 'he' as gender neutral.

Language evolves. Here, in the right direction. Makes me so happy. https://t.co/CGeOychvEL

— Jen Simmons (@jensimmons) March 26, 2017

The AP is getting credit for being kind of woke, but it acknowledges that a lot of people use “they” anyway because it’s less awkward than “he or she,” and it also stops short of adopting pronouns like “xe” or “ze.”