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Jenny Cunningham's avatar

A timely post David, as more humans push for a gender-neutral pronoun. In fact, I pay a dollar every time I slip up and call my friend "she" instead of "they". (But in fairness, that young friend has paid me a dollar when they say anything vaguely ageist.) I will add that "it" feels like a dismissive slap when you are talking about a living creature.

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Jeanne Kinnard's avatar

This change recognizing animals are not things can go beyond pronouns. Officially, humans "lie" down for a nap. But you "lay" a book down on the table. When I was teaching, I always used the verb lie for animals. Students would challenge that use. I'd always ask if they had a pet, or had ever loved an animal. Then I'd ask did that animal have more in common with their family members, or more in common with a log in the fireplace? They always agreed with the use of "lie".

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