Style Guide: Eliminating the Generic He (A Defense of the Singular They)

The generic “he” is often a stand-in for anyone of all genders and pronouns. This usage raises the following issues: lack of inclusion, grammatic confusion, and unintended gender connotations. However, another generic pronoun can serve as a solution to all of the above-mentioned issues: the singular “they.” Below, each of the issues are discussed to explain how this pronoun replacement solves these problems.

In favor of inclusivity, some have already shifted from usage of the generic “he” to usage of “he/she” (or other variants, like “s/he” and “he or she”). These terms--though more inclusive--still exclude individuals who do not fit into this binary, such as individuals who use neopronouns and/or the singular “they” pronoun. Replacing the generic “he” with “they” saves us from trapping readers into an exclusive binary that they may not see themselves as part of depending on their preferred pronouns.

There are many instances in which the generic “he” causes further confusion by appearing grammatically incorrect. For example, the sentence, “when somebody gives birth, it’s good for him to have assistance” may cause a reader to pause. Though not all those who give birth use the pronoun “she,” the collective definitely does not all use the pronoun “he.” If we replace the generic “he” with “they,” the sentence naturally causes less confusion for the reader because the assumption that everyone who gives birth uses the pronoun “he” is avoided. In this example, “they” works both to dissipate confusion and to offer inclusion (whereas changing the word choice to utilize the generic “she” would only deal with the element of confusion, and arguably create further exclusion).

The third issue raised by usage of the generic “he” is that, by defaulting to the masculine pronoun, we attach gendered connotations to what we are reading. In Gastil’s article titled “Generic Pronouns and Sexist Language: The Oxymoronic Character of Masculine Generics,” Gastil brings to attention several studies revealing that usage of the generic “he” holds “male-bias” and “reinforces sexist attitudes and behaviors” in a “psychological manner” (Gastil 630-631). In Gastil’s own study, the results found that usage of the generic “he” led participants to picture more male imagery in relation to a sentence than when a sentence used “he/she” or “they” (Gastil 635). Even with the knowledge that “he” is being used generically, reader interpretation is impacted, which may lead to a written work being misunderstood, or may lead to a reader feeling alienated when they--look, the singular “they” in action!--are meant to be included. Interestingly, Gastil found that “men and women saw an almost identical number of mixed images when reading they” (Gastil 638). This difference tells us that the neutrality of “they” allows a reader more freedom in their interpretation whereas the masculinity of the generic “he” unintentionally guides the reader to certain imagery. By using a more inclusive, ambiguous pronoun, writers can avoid accidental implications and imagery that pronoun usage like the generic “he” and “she” create.

For best practice, opt for the generic “they” over the generic “he” (or even the generic “she”). Unless one is aiming to address individuals who use a specific pronoun, the singular “they” is superior for its inclusivity. Additionally for consideration, in the case of addressing individuals who use a specific pronoun, one must be certain that they are addressing people as such because of their pronoun rather than their sex or gender. Pronouns, gender, and sex do not always align, and confusing these terms may lead to exclusionary messages/language. To better understand this, we can return to the example sentence with a different generic pronoun in place: “When somebody gives birth, it’s good for her to have assistance.” The explanation of why the generic “they” is more fitting than the generic “she” is the kind of exclusionary problem we can avoid by keeping distinctions between pronouns, gender, and sex. Pronouns do not equate to anatomy.

We should always strive to use inclusive language to promote equality, diversity, and respect. The generic “he” is outdated and problematic, but easily remedied with thoughtful usage of  the singular, generic “they.” Though the difference may seem subtle, there is power in language, and it is our responsibility to empower all readers whenever possible.