Oh For Heck's Sake

When we talk about using people's pronouns, we usually mean third person pronouns. The ones we use to talk about people.

I recently interacted with someone with preferences for second and first person pronouns. That was new.

Obviously, first person pronouns are entirely within that person's control. But second person pronouns are in-your-face, so to speak. This was a fun and interesting challenge!

This person's pronouns are it/its.

So a conversation might go...

Person: It would prefer you use its pronouns for second person too.

Me: Thank it for sharing this.

I do have oppositional feelings about using “it” for a living being, but guess what? That's not my place to enforce. I don't get to pick that. The other person does.