Fausto-Sterling, A. (1993) The five sexes. Sciences, 33(2), 20-25.

In the introduction to "The Five Sexes," Anne Fausto-Sterling writes that she had to "invent conventions - s/he and his/her - to denote someone who is clearly neither male nor female or who is perhaps both sexes at once" (1993, p.20).

In the years since this essay was published, using they/them/their as singular third person pronouns has become a more widespread practice in range of social contexts. Some (but not all) people with non-binary gender identities use they/them/their pronouns, and some people who identify as men or women use they/them/their pronouns as a way of resisting or defying the constraints of traditional gender norms.

Now that they/them/their are more widely used and accepted as singular pronouns, have you noticed changes in the ways people think, talk about and understand gender and/or sex? Do you think this language change has shifted the ways people understand and experience gender and/or sex? If so, what specific changes have you observed and what are the effects of these shifts? Describe specific evidence of social/cultural change you have witnessed. If you have NOT seen evidence of shifts in thinking or understanding, why do you think that might be the case?

Do you think the use of singular they pronouns has lead to increased acceptance and/or celebration of non-binary genders and/or bodies in mainstream cultural contexts? Why, or why not?

When composing your response, please be thoughtful about your own subject position and about the ways it has shaped your experiences and perceptions.