Calling me "they", February 7, 19:27

Last year, Japan's rugby representative slogan "ONE TEAM" was selected as the "New Language / Buzzword Award" in Japan. In fact, even in the United States, major publishers publish the Word of the Year every year. Last year, the chosen word was "they". Why was "they" meaning "they and theirs" chosen because it is an old word? And what is the debate that is taking place in the United States over this word?
(International Affairs Reporter Misaki Fujii)

What is "key"?

The word "key". I think you learned in junior high school English class as a term that refers to two or more people, "they and them."

In fact, in the United States, the use of "they" is spreading to sexual minorities who are neither "he" nor "she".

And even one person uses "they".

According to Merriam Webster, a major publisher selling dictionaries and other words that have been selected as the `` words of the word '' in 2019, the word "they" is used as the first person in the United States, regardless of gender. There was a word "thon". However, it was rarely used and was removed from the dictionary.

Instead, "they" is used.

Originally, it was used as a substitute for "he" or "she" when it was not known whether a particular person was a man or a woman.

And when using this "they", the verb is plural, "Even if there is only one you, it is the same as using the verb" are "."

There were big topics such as the fact that an American female lawmaker announced that his child was synonymous with "they" and that a British singer-songwriter appealed to call him "they". Publishers chose "Words of the Word" because of the large increase in the number of times.

A new “they” to teach at school

Suburb of New York City, USA. I heard that there is a junior high school that has a club activity that thinks about sexual minorities.

The school works to protect the sexual dignity of sexual minority students. And in their activities, they use the pronoun "they".

Students are first given a self-introduction seal. On all stickers is written "MY PRONOUNS ARE ..." (my name is ...), followed by various pronouns such as "he" and "she". Among them is "they".

Students will put this sticker on their chest and introduce their name and how to call it. A few students then called out to call themselves "they."

The teacher in charge suggested that you use "they" when you don't know the gender of the other person, instead of just looking and looking at your name.

It is said that wrong sex can seriously hurt the other person's heart. These club activities are conducted at various schools, mainly in liberal states.

I want to expand "key"

There are people who want to make the importance of "they" widely known in society. I'm Shige Sakurai, a Japanese American who claims to be a sexual minority.

Three years ago, Sakurai, a university teacher in Eastern Maryland, obtained a license with an "X" in the gender column, meaning neither male nor female.

Sakurai calls for the use of "they" to make sexual minorities more socially acceptable.

Sakurai says that when he is called "he" or "she", he feels denied that he is neither a man nor a woman, and feels a distance from his partner.

It's also hard to tell people who don't know about sexual minorities to change their names often.

Sakurai: "I don't agree with my view of the real people and the people around me. I'm upset and tired of this situation. Even if my friend is a friend, I feel distance. "

Sakurai believes that the use of the word "key" will become more pervasive, and a society that accepts more sexual minorities will be realized.

A persistent American society

However, in the United States, while the word "they" is expanding, the opposition is also persistent. Many people, especially Christian conservatives, deny sexual minorities.

"It's better to put on a guillotine." "I'm ill." In the news on Sakurai's website, there were a lot of unpleasant comments.

Christian conservatives: "Gender is determined by God"

I visited a church in southern Georgia. Georgia is located in the "Biblebelt", which is home to many Christian conservatives who value Bible teaching from the south to the Midwest.

One Sunday in December. When about fifty believers gathered, the minister began preaching. In that, I mentioned sexual minorities.

"Sexual minorities are forcing people around us to use inappropriate language. It's very unpleasant, filthy and disgraceful."

Although surprised by the strong expression, the pastor repeatedly criticized sexual minorities in an hour and a half preaching.

These conservatives strongly believe that "sex is determined by God", so they say "they" are negative. After the sermon, one male believer said, "The Bible teaches that sexual minorities are dangerous. Men are men, women are women, and we never use sexless calling." Was.

Two pros and cons

In New York, which is considered a liberal, many people agree with the term "they", but some have heard negative opinions.

Some of them were strong negators who said "absolutely not," while others said "it's important to understand, but I'll call it by name." We can see that the discussion on "they" is split in two from the data.

When the Pew Research Center, an American opinion poll, asked what it thought of non-gender naming conventions such as "they," 52% were positive and 47% were negative, with two pros and cons. It was divided.

Ripples spreading from familiar words

I want to increase the number of people who understand me. Sakurai, a sexual minority, calls on his third Wednesday in October to be a "pronoun day", such as "they", to promote understanding.

As a result, many sexual minorities sympathize with themselves and post videos that introduce themselves to them, such as "they."

Sakurai: "My ultimate goal is to get more people involved in this problem. I hope the wider" they "will be the first step in solving the problems we face."

The United States shakes with the words of "they".

When "words" and values ​​about their usage conflict, which one should give priority to the one who issues the word or the one who can be spoken? I feel it is a difficult question.

And especially if it involves your own existence.

With my understanding of sexual minorities, I will continue to focus on how this word is becoming more pervasive in the United States.

Misaki Fujii, International Affairs Reporter