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The Associated Press Stylebook now allows the use of the singular pronoun “they” for individuals who do not identify as male or female. LGBTQ advocates see this as a positive change, but the Stylebook still does not accept alternative gender-neutral pronouns. The Stylebook also clarified the difference between gender and sex.
For journalists and editors who take their linguistic guidance from the Associated Press Stylebook, it has been deemed a cultural conundrum. If an individual mentioned in an article does not identify as male or female, the singular pronoun “they” may be used. Paula Froke, editor-in-chief of the AP Stylebook, announced the change in March 2017, but she urged members at the American Copy Editors Society annual conference to use the singular pronoun “they” sparingly. Many LGBTQ advocates see the change as a step in the right direction. “Because of this shift, transgender and gender nonconforming people will earn more respect and dignity in the media,” said Jacob Tobia, an advocate for the LGBTQ community.
Coming to a newspaper near you:
In another change for 2017, the AP Stylebook decided that LGBT and LGBTQ can be used interchangeably.
Although the AP Stylebook says that “they” can be used as a gender-neutral singular pronoun,
the Stylebook does not accept alternative gender-neutral pronouns such as “ze” or “xe”.
The AP Stylebook also clarified that gender “is not synonymous with sex,” adding that gender “refers to a person’s social identity while sex refers to biological characteristics.”
