Can They Replace He or She

Increasingly, companies are removing “he” and “she” from their employee handbooks and replacing them with gender-neutral pronouns, such as “they,” Merriam-Webster’s word of 2019. The companies are doing this to make nonbinary individuals who do not identify as male or female feel included.

Can I say they instead of he or she?

When referring to a generic person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant to the context, use the singular “they” as the pronoun. … If a person uses “she” or “he,” do not use “they” instead. Likewise, if a person uses “they,” do not switch to “he” or “she.” Use the pronouns the person uses. Kai is a nonbinary person.

Why do people say they instead of he?

The idea that there are only two genders is called the gender binary and used by people who feel they are either a male or a female. They use the pronouns “he” and “she.” … Being non-binary allows them to pick the identity that feels right for them. And they may use several pronouns including “they/them.”