The same university in Britain that recently warned against "Christian-centric" language called upon students and staff to use gender-neutral pronouns. These include ‘ze’ and ‘fae.’
The University of Kent on the southern coast of England released a "staff & student guidance on pronouns." The guide claimed that "Sex does not predetermine a person’s gender, however, and this assignment may conflict with the person’s gender identity - their internal sense of their own gender and what feels right for them."
The guide also claimed that proper pronoun usage is a matter of "human dignity" and suggested that "gender-neutral pronouns are becoming increasingly common. This includes the use of the singular ‘they’ or ‘ze’." The guide then linked to a list of "English gender-neutral pronouns" and proclaimed "they are all linguistically valid."
The wiki page the guide linked to has a variety of "neutral pronouns" including the reportedly 6th most common, "Fae/Faer," which referred to the winged, magical fairies of Celtic folklore. The entry for "Fae" read, "fae, faer, faer, faers, faerself. A fairy (faery, faerie, fey or Fair Folk) themed set created no later than 2013. This was the most commonly used pronoun set in 2021." It also includes a poll on whether people who identify as Celts or Pagans were offended by such usage, as a nod to controversy over cultural appropriation.
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University of Kent’s guide also claimed, "It’s not always possible to know someone’s gender identity solely based on appearance, so we should be careful not to make assumptions about a person’s pronouns from their appearance, voice, or characteristics."
In order to address such scenarios, the guide recommended that during meetings, "particularly when hosting or meeting others for the first time," that "you could state your pronouns when you introduce yourself. Not only will this encourage colleagues to do the same, but it will normalize the practice, which will help trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people feel more comfortable to do the same."
In previous material, the same University raised eyebrows when it released a guide, "Inclusive Language at Kent," which warned, "Don’t use" terms such as "Welcome ladies and gentlemen," and also to "Avoid using Christian-centric terms."
The Daily Mail covered the university’s controversial gender language guidelines and quoted Free Speech Union founder and director Toby Young.
"The problem with demanding that all staff and students declare their pronouns and, presumably, use each other's preferred pronouns, is that it requires some of them - gender critical feminists, orthodox Christians - to affirm something they don't believe to be true, i.e., that it's possible for a person to change sex," he told The Daily Mail.
